An engagement with the terms of mediated persona is central to the understanding of contemporary political culture. Persona poses questions about the nature of political identity, political performance and the linkage with different media forms and conventions. It also connects directly with the nature of modern political sentiment and with the various articulations of the political within the popular. This article provides a schematic exploration of some of the primary factors at work in the fashioning of political persona, examining the broader implications of shifts in the styling of political personhood. It suggests the value of further historical and case-study work, opening up the neglected cultural and affective dimension of the formal political process.
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