Söder's selfie before the pope burial: a taboo break for many!

Söder's selfie before the pope burial: a taboo break for many!

Before the funeral service for the late Pope Francis, CSU boss Markus Söder caused excitement when he posted a selfie on his Instagram profile. The picture on which he can be seen together with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier shows him smiling and radiant, while the two arrived in the Vatican just before the funeral service. In his accompanying text for the post, Söder said: "Especially in Rome: Now the convoy with Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is going to the Vatican for the funeral service for the late Pope Francis." OE24 reports .

The publication of the selfies was quickly criticized by numerous users on social media. Many expressed lack of understanding of the representation of a "happy selfies" in the context of a funeral service. FDP politician Marie-Egnes Strack-Zimmermann described the picture as Würdelos, while left-wing politicians Dietmar Bartsch also noted that the picture was too happy for such an occasion. CDU too excited about the staging of politics as an event; Dennis Radtke critically commented on Söder's presentation Süddeutsche reports .

criticism and public perception

In addition to the reactions to the selfie, Söder posted further photos during the funeral service and spoke about the moving moments that occurred on St. Peter's Square. He pointed out the large number of people who would say goodbye to Pope Francis worldwide. After the funeral service took place, Söder created an Instagram video in which he expressed his gratitude and joy about working with the Pope.

The use of social media, especially Instagram, has gained importance in political communication. According to bpb.de Citizens' interaction has created. Citizens can achieve political institutions more often with their own messages today without being dependent on traditional mass media.

These changes in the communication landscape, in which social media take on a central role, also raise questions. Negative messages often create high user reactions, while the need for effective community management increases to moderate insulting comments and react to users' questions. The reactions on Söder's selfie illustrate how sensitive political communication on social media is and what challenges it brings.

Digital communication becomes essential for the parties and political leaders in order to also address younger voters and increase their own visibility. In a hybrid media system in which classic and social media coexist, however, traditional reporting remains important to reach a wide audience and to influence public perception.