Women Political Leaders and the Media

This book analyzes how the media covers women leaders and reinforces gendered evaluations of their candidacies and performance. It deals with current transformations in political communication that may change the nature and scope of leadership in contemporary democracies with implications for relations between female leaders, media and citizens.

Women Political Leaders and the Media provides a timely and erudite examination of women politicians and the challenges posed by the modern media. It takes the study of political leadership a step forward deepening our understanding of the conflicting pressures women face from the media. Drawing on primary and secondary sources it lays bare the widespread stereotyping process at work in contemporary democracies and its consequences for women leaders. The book's findings are then contextualised in respect to the latest theories of political leadership. This is a highly readable and insightful book which provides a welcome addition to both political communication research and the growing literature on women political leaders.

- James Stanyer, Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University, UK

Rich and well documented book that attempts to answer new questions emerging today in many democratic regimes. Are female qualities compatible with leadership and is the popularization of political communication fostering the possibility for women to become leaders? Looking at different cases all around the world and supported by a good knowledge of the existing literature Donatella Campus suggests answers that could also be applied to the relationship between leadership and mass media more in general.

- Paolo Mancini, Faculty of Political Science, University of Perugia, Italy

Donatella Campus, one of the most prominent Italian searchers in political communication, produces here a provocative scholarly opus. Using an exhaustive multidisciplinary knowledge, added to an excellent pragmatic understanding of the field, she comes out with strong ideas. Could it be that the increased personalization of modern political communication will lead to a better acceptance of women as irrefutable political leaders? Could it also be that leveling women politicians to their male equivalents will help to redefine and to reinforce the democratic process?

Philippe J. Maarek, University of Paris East, France

DONATELLA CAMPUS is Professor of Political Science at the University of Bologna, Italy.