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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Katharine A. M. WrightORCiD, Dr Nick Randall, Chloe Barker Barker
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What does it mean to lead NATO in the age of digital diplomacy? This chapter explores how former Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s leadership was visually constructed in the year following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Drawing on a dataset of 4,606 images from NATO’s Flickr account (February 2022 to February 2023), we identify six key roles performed by the Secretary General—Chair, communicator, leader, mediator, diplomat, and influencer—and analyze how these are made visible or obscured. The chapter examines how NATO’s curated imagery contributes to its public diplomacy, revealing gendered silences, visual hierarchies, and continuity with Western diplomatic aesthetics. We argue that Stoltenberg’s transformation into a celebrity diplomat reflects shifting practices in digital diplomacy. Finally, we consider what Mark Rutte’s appointment as his successor may mean for the future of NATO’s leadership projection.
Author(s): Wright KAM, Randall N, Bergman Rosamond A, Barker C, Middleton A
Editor(s): Jude S-C; Wright KAM
Publication type: Book Chapter
Publication status: In Press
Book Title: Critical Perspectives on NATO: Feminist Insights
Year: 2026
Acceptance date: 04/09/2025
Series Title: Feminist Reimagining of International Studies
Publisher: Bristol University Press
Place Published: Bristol
Notes: 9781529248340 ebook ISBN
Library holdings: Search Newcastle University Library for this item
ISBN: 9781529248326
