Charisma as a media product: conceptualizing the phenomenon of political leadership in hybrid communications

Abstract

The article examines the phenomenon of charisma as a media product in the context of hybrid communications. Its structural components are identified, a typology of charismatic leadership models is proposed, and the processes of charisma routinization in the digital environment are theoretically substantiated.

The research methodology draws on theoretical analysis and synthesis of psychoanalytic, sociological, political science, and media communication approaches to the phenomenon of charisma. The comparative method is employed to contrast horizontal and vertical models of charismatic leadership through concrete public cases. Semiotic analysis is applied to decode the visual, verbal, and non-verbal markers that transform a leader into a charismatic media product.

Under conditions of hybrid communications, a leader's charisma transforms from a personal phenomenon into a deliberately constructed media product. A conceptual model of the charismatic media product is proposed, comprising four structural components: the dramaturgical construction of the image, the viral potential of content, the appeal to archetypal imagery, and the leader's signature stigmata. A typology of horizontal and vertical charismatic leadership models is introduced as rational responses to different sociocultural demands. The routinisation of charisma is theoretically substantiated as an inherent consequence of a media product functioning within digital platform environments. The distinctions between the two models are empirically confirmed through analysis of the communication strategies of V. Zelenskyy and E. Macron.

The article argues that the effectiveness of a charismatic media product is determined by how precisely it corresponds to the current sociocultural expectations of society, while its long-term sustainability depends on the leader's capacity to reinforce the media image with tangible results. Improving media literacy is considered a practical instrument for reducing public vulnerability to manipulative influence in the hybrid media space.