A Semiotic Study of Iraqiʼs Election Propaganda Photos

الملخص

The phenomena of elections propaganda photos are investigated in the present study. A political slogan is understood as one of the most vital ways for candidates and political parties and to communicate with voters, especially when party identification is declining. Generally speaking, political advertising in Iraq began with the use of posters, flyers, and other printed materials. The current study sheds light on how political parties and candidates in Iraq show their program with their audiences. It explores Iraqi elections propaganda photos from a semiotic point of view and takes Barthesʼ theory (1968) of semiotics as a model for data analysis. The data concerning the candidates are chosen from different Iraqi provinces to find out those electoral campaigns semiotically. In addition, this study deals with various aspects in terms of the signs or symbols used for the purpose of influencing the voter's decision for the right candidate.