Visual Representations of NATO on Instagram: Public Diplomacy and Institutional Image Building
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51480/compress.2025.8-2.993Keywords:
Keywords: public diplomacy, image management, NATO, Instagram, soft power, digital communication.Abstract
This study examines how NATO uses Instagram as a visual communication tool in its public diplomacy. Qualitative content analysis was applied to posts and reels shared on NATO’s official Instagram account. The analysis focuses on the visual themes and symbolic elements used in these materials. The study does not measure the effectiveness of social media communication; rather, it examines how visual content is used to convey NATO’s institutional image and alliance identity. The findings provide an overview of the dominant visual themes identified in NATO’s Instagram posts on the basis of the applied coding framework. Overall, the study contributes to research on digital public diplomacy by offering an analysis of visual representations on social media.
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