The public image is the representation of a person or an entity that makes a company . This means that the public image is made up of the set of traits recognized by the community .
The figure, appearance or likeness of something is known as an image . This term, which comes from the Latin word imago , also refers to the visual representation of an object that is made through techniques of photography, painting, design, etc. Public , for its part, is an adjective that refers to that which is manifest or notorious, or that is seen or known by everyone . The public is also associated with what belongs or relates to the people .
For example: “Cristiano Ronaldo's public image is often questioned due to his controversial statements” , “The political class should strive to improve its public image” , “The complaint damaged the artist's public image” .
Construction of public image
The public image is built from actions and behaviors that are noticed by the population. That is why its development is influenced by the mass media , since they are responsible for transmitting what is said and done by a personality or an organization to society. A media outlet , therefore, can be responsible for improving or harming someone's public image.
It should be noted that the public image can vary from the private or intimate image of a person. A singer who often appears on television talking about his charitable works can have a positive public image, since people will receive information about his charitable action . However, that same singer can be violent at home and hire black employees without society knowing.
In some cases, when the attitudes that a famous person has in his privacy do not represent invasions of anyone's privacy or lack of respect or abuses of power, it is not really important if his public image differs significantly from his private one. In fact, this difference can be very positive, especially if his actions are closely observed by children or adolescents from many parts of the world, since the development of his youngest admirers can largely depend on his public behavior.
From intimacy to social
For many, what should really interest us about celebrities is, apart from their performance in the area that has established them, their behavior in front of the cameras, the messages they give in their public appearances and not exactly what they do in their lives. private. In any case, this tends to lose weight when accusations of violent acts come to light: it is very difficult to respect a person who commits crimes in his free time.
But the public image does not exist as a way to distort the truth and hide the dark side of people; On the contrary, it is a resource to simplify his true image , leaving aside all the layers that only someone close can understand and appreciate, and creating a character more accessible to the masses, which consists mainly of the performance of an activity known to everyone. , such as a sport, an artistic discipline or a science.
Achieving a public image that does not spark controversy is very difficult, but not impossible. More than one star has managed to establish certain limits for the press to prevent them from entering into their private lives, mainly through impeccable conduct, without run-ins with the law, and they have led successful but quiet careers. Three examples from different fields are actor Matt Damon , singer and actress Barbra Streisand , and Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli .