The Media Ministers: Scrutinizing Communication Strategies in Ministerial Departments

Co-author: rune.karlsen@samfunnsforskning.no A key development in established democracies in the 20th century has been the increased attention on individuals in political life. This personalization of politics (Karvonen 2009; McAllister 2007) is part of the so-called mediatization of society, in which organizations and institutions adapts to the norms and logic of the media. The role of individuals has attracted attention in studies of election campaigns, and focus has mostly been on the increasing importance of party leaders (e.g. Kriesi 2012, Poguntke & Webb 2005). Less is known, however, on how ministerial departments adapts to the increasing needs of political leaders in their communication towards the public. In this paper we scrutinize the communication strategies in ministerial departments, and focus on the role political leaders have in this communicative setting. Based on mediatization theory and communication strategy models, we ask: To what extent is the personal involvement of the minister deemed necessary for a successful communication strategy? Moreover, what is the relative importance of making the minister look good, compared to other bureaucratic norms and values in ministerial departments? Our data comprise of a survey to communication advisors and civil servants in Norwegian ministries, carried out in 2015. In Norway there is extensive focus on party leaders in the media, and the over the last decades the number of communication advisors in ministries has grown considerably. Our findings show that ministerial involvement is deemed crucial for successful communication. Moreover, making the minister look good is of central importance; for communication advisors, as well as for ordinary bureaucrats. The Norwegian case thus underlines the important role of individuals in political life, and suggests that the personalization of politics might be a threat to the Weberian ideal of a neutral civil service.