Visual Rhetoric

The famous cultural thinker Clifford Geertz (1980) once described what he called the “theatre state”, referring to the situation of 19th century Bali.

The political communication culture of a country can be seen from how the political elite use resources to build an image in the minds of its citizens. In the transitional history of this country, "visual rhetoric" through media in the public sphere has long been part of the competition of the political elite to establish their image. In fact, the visual warfare is often more exciting than debate in the legislature rooms. The spread of images of politicians on social media and billboards is far more captivating than their real track record in the field.

One of the main points that Benjamin Barber discusses in his influential book, Jihad Vs McWorld, is that communication technologies (audio, visual, film, print and electronic) inevitably have an impact on culture and politics and the attitudes that shape them. Barber coins the term the “infotainment telesector”, the relationship between technology, news and entertainment, “which creates and controls the world of signs and symbols.”