Guy next door and implausibly attractive young women: The visual frames of social media propaganda

This study combines data analysis with multilevel processing of visual communication to classify the frames state-sponsored social media propaganda. We relied on Twitter’s Election Integrity sample five propaganda targets Internet Research Agency, including Russian and American partisan groups, explored how their operations deviated from canonical state marked by symbols national identity heroic masculinity. The results show that employed Agency are designed embody vox populi relatable, familiar, or attractive faces ordinary people. also indicate influence displayed cultural acuity familiarity targets, narrative agency crafted trafficked primarily in tropes regular guys young women. discuss these findings argue has attuned subcultural affordances platforms.