“Young and Wild”? Age and Other Determinants of the Emotional Expressivity of German Politicians in News Broadcasts and Talk Shows

Abstract

This study asks whether age, gender and ideological orientation affects the emotional expressivity of German politicians in news broadcasts and talk shows. Moreover, it examines the emotionality of state and national politicians as well as of politicians affiliated to the opposition or the government. In news broadcasts and talk shows, females show emotions more often than males. State politicians reveal emotions less frequently in talk shows, but more frequently in the news. While in talk shows, opposition politicians and younger politicians communicate more emotionally, in news broadcasts, politicians with stronger populist orientations express emotions more often and more intensely. Left-oriented politicians only express stronger emotions in reference to “hard” policy areas.