Bureaucracy as a Necessary Evil: Representations of the Corrupt Bureaucrat in the Caricatures Published in the Romanian Press in the Late 1940s and 50s

The Romanian communist regime used the press and the new centralized and controlled media system as the main propaganda tool, both to manipulate information, and to shape the beliefs, mentalities and behaviours. In this complex and mix of ideological instruments, an interesting place is occupied by the caricature. The drawing was used as an easier form to manipulate and which, through its artistic appearance, touch the emotional sphere, so it was considered as being more effective by having a stronger effect than the written texts. One of the subjects of the caricatures in the 50's, the bureaucrat, occupies a distinct place, being seen as a necessary evil, which must be controlled. Although it is placed next to the other enemies of the regime and considered corrupt, the bureaucrat is acknowledged as part of the administration and there is a constant struggle to control and to adapt it to the requirements of the regime, by constant criticism. The study is centred on a qualitative analysis of caricatures published in the late 1940s and during the 50s in the ”Urzica” magazine and in the newspapers (”România Liberă” and ”Informația Bucureștiului”) used for propaganda.