Analysis of José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s nonverbal communication

• Main Authors: Imelda Rodríguez-Escanciano, Ph.D., María Hernández-Herrarte, Ph.D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad de La Laguna 2010-01-01
• Series: Revista Latina de Comunicación Social
• Subjects: television; electronic leader; show; nonverbal communication; politics; Zapatero.
• Online Access: http://www.revistalatinacs.org/10/art3/911_Cervantes/33_ImeldaEN.html

Aware of television’s high level of persuasion and impact, politicians have progressively adapted their messages to the guidelines of the audiovisual media in order to strongly persuade TV viewers, which are seen as potential voters. Currently, the communication, marketing and telegenicity teams of most political parties do not only train their politicians to effectively use verbal communication, but they also try to reinforce their non-verbal communications skills, because they understand that a really effective message is only created through the correct combination of both dimensions. This article presents an in-depth study of the nonverbal communication displayed by the Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, during the first quarter of 2010 when a political topic predominated in the agenda: the financial crisis. Through content analysis, and a self-developed methodology, the study aims to decipher the strategic meaning of this political leader’s kinesic behaviour in the second edition of Telediario, the news programme broadcast by Spain’s Public TV Network (Televisión Española, aka, TVE).