Women’s magazines in the Nordic style: Politics, politicians and the welfare state

an article by Laura Saarenmaa and Iiris Ruoho (University of Tampere, Finland) published in European Journal of Communication Volume 29 Number 3 (June 2014)

Abstract

The article explores the engagement of women’s magazines with the political public sphere in Finland.

The material for the study consists of the political content of three long-lived (1968–2008) women’s magazines that are still in existence. Women’s magazines in Finland have supported the rise of women in power from the 1960s onwards. Consequently, women’s magazines are being utilized in political performance in ways that should be put under critical scrutiny rather than bypassed as mere political advertising.

Theoretically, the article draws on the debates around the personalization of politics and the emergence of celebrity politics. Furthermore, in studying these women’s magazines, the article highlights the particularity of the Nordic context.

---