Entertainers, experts, or public servants? Politicians' self‐presentation on television talk shows

It has been argued that politics on television is increasingly presented as entertainment and that politicians tend to communicate favorable images of their personalities rather than providing factual information. The question of whether politicians' public self‐presentation is distinct from that of experts and whether it includes elements typically used by entertainers was investigated using content analysis to compare talk show performances of politicians, entertainers, and experts. It was found that politicians provided less factual information than experts and disclosed less about their personalities than entertainers. Furthermore, they relied heavily on presenting themselves as worthy, successful, and innovative.