This year’s General Election has seen many a political blunder, which put politicians’ media handling skills to the test. Managed differently, the image of the person in question could be cast in an entirely different light.
Take Alex Salmond, for example. Accidentally caught posing in front of an advertisement for the new horror film, ‘The Crazies’. The message he sent to the world was a picture of himself standing under the words ‘The Crazies’ – in his party’s trademark colours, no less.An unfortunate photograph which was not Alex Salmond’s fault. He’s a politician; not an image expert. However, those in the public eye need to be aware of image.
If only Salmond had thought to glance over his shoulder to check his surroundings and thus, the physical context of the picture, he could have saved himself a great deal of embarrassment - which could not have come at worse time in the wake of the party’s legal battle with the BBC. Had Salmond acknowledged the photograph and showed good-humour, he could have displayed that all important ‘human side’ we so love to see in politicians – a missed opportunity perhaps.
Part of each party candidates’ appeal this year has been a battle of media manipulation as to who has the most human appeal. Gordon Brown’s ‘Bigotgate’ blunder is a prime example. If only he had kept his opinions private eh? Except he did think they were private – how was he to know his microphone was still on? Gordon swept in with a fast, genuine apology. By acknowledging his mistake he began to put things right and even gained a little sympathy from the public, if not support for his human error.
The thing is, you cannot truly know which way such a situation will go. Should the public decide, your blunder could gain ironic popularity in the same way some cringe worthy celebrities are beloved for their awful lack of cool and could do you a great deal of good – see Labour’s attempted slur on David Cameron and the Tories‘ successful comeback. Alternatively, your image could be tarnished or worse, left in tatters. When centre-stage, poised for public scrutiny, your image vulnerabilities are something to keep in mind.
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