Social Media and Politics Publicity Politicians, Public Opinion, and the Birth of Media Politics, with Dr. Betto van Waarden
Jan 4, 2026
Dr. Betto van Waarden, an Assistant Professor of History at Maastricht University, dives into the intricate relationship between media and politics during the Age of Empire. He discusses how 19th-century technologies transformed news production and the emergence of public opinion. Van Waarden introduces the concept of 'publicity politicians,' whose traits include media savvy and hypersensitivity to public sentiment. He draws compelling parallels between historical political strategies and today's media landscape, exploring how personalization affects democracy.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Empire As A Media Prestige Project
- High imperialism sought prestige through international attention, making media central to imperial politics.
- Empires used mass media to project power and expand the political sphere beyond national borders.
Public Opinion Becomes Political Currency
- Public opinion acquired legitimacy and political power as mass media proliferated.
- Politicians obsessively monitored newspapers to guess and influence this emergent public will.
Daily Telegraph Crisis Damaged The Kaiser
- Kaiser Wilhelm II's Daily Telegraph interview sparked a worldwide scandal and rapid backlash.
- The speed of international news prevented aides from containing the fallout and weakened the emperor's influence.
