New Books in Communications Betto van Waarden, "Politicians and Mass Media in the Age of Empire" (Cambridge UP, 2025)
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Jan 23, 2026 Betto van Waarden, a historian and professor at Maastricht University, dives into the interplay between mass media and politics from 1890 to the First World War. He discusses how politicians adapted to a rapidly changing media landscape, using examples like Roosevelt and Leopold II. Betto highlights how transnational media redefined public perception and political legitimacy, and he connects historical phenomena to contemporary issues like disinformation and social media dynamics. His exploration reveals the enduring influence of 'publicity politicians' on today’s media strategies.
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Six Politicians Illustrate A Pattern
- Betto van Waarden studies six media-savvy political figures across empires to show a common media-politics pattern.
- These include Kaiser Wilhelm II, Bernhard von Bülow, Joseph Chamberlain, Cecil Rhodes, Leopold II, and Theodore Roosevelt.
Public Opinion Became Political Currency
- Politicians and the press both claimed to represent 'public opinion' as mass suffrage expanded.
- That claim reshaped legitimacy: media-backed leaders could gain power whether elected or appointed.
Leaders Desperate To Read Foreign Press
- Leopold II canceled his Times subscription but had aides buy copies daily so he could read British coverage.
- Cecil Rhodes paid to smuggle newspapers into besieged Kimberley to know outside public opinion.
