Abstract: Pre-election campaigns of the candidates for municipal elections in 2015 provokes research interest about the messages of the candidates. The topic is actual and can be seen from different scientific perspectives. The analysis examined the visual rhetoric of political candidates in the campaign for municipal elections 2015. The messages are refracted through their repercussions on social networks and online media. These are mostly posters and leaflets of candidates for municipal government. The study is based on content analysis of articles in online media and using a descriptive approach to analyze messages. It focuses on the content of the messages – whether they are primarily attractive and scandalous or are sufficiently effective and help the candidate reach their voters. There are results from the analysis of visual content and verbally concrete examples of social networks and online media of Bulgarian politicians.

Keywords: political campaign, visual communication, messages, scandals, media, social networks.

Rhetoric and Communications E-journal, Issue 25, November 2016, rhetoric.bg/, journal.rhetoric.bg, ISSN 1314-4464

Read the original of the text (in Bulgarian)