Social media and Politics
We all remember the times when we came to know about any news via TV or newspapers. But the situation has drastically changed in the last couple of decades. The internet has played a large role in this transformation. Social media is now a serious factor in political campaigns and can easily shape the public opinion about different issues.
Years ago the media included several different outlets through which people could receive information on politics, such as radio, television, advertising and mailings.
When campaigning, politicians spent large quantities of money on media to reach voters, concentrating on people who were undecided.
Politicians always used television commercials, advertisements or mailings to point out negative qualities in their opponents that became even easier now in the age of new social communication aids
There are much more advantages of using the new social media like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube that have no control and reach the greater audience.
So nowadays social media has dramatically changed the way campaigns are run and the possibilities allowing Americans interact with their elected officials.
The main difference between past and present influence of social media is direct contact with voters.
Then, if in past years politicians had to pay for their campaigns advertising using newspapers, radio and TV now they do it for free raising large amounts of cash in short period of time, pressing their supporters to donate money. They use Twitter and Facebook to get the word out and manipulate people’s minds tying these funds to specific controversies that emerge during campaigns. And they don’t have to pay for extremely expensive air time on radio or TV.
Politicians work with well trained analytics to find out who follow them on different internet sites and customize the messages to audiences, according to professional advices, depending of followers age for example. They distribute their messages concentrating more on the undecided voters based on selected demographics.
The media can also influence politics by deciding what news the public needs to hear choosing the stories that are the most important and the most sensational for the public to hear.
Though direct access to voters also has its down sides.
A politician may send out unfiltered tweets or Facebook posts and it can put him in embarrassing situations. We all know several examples of this unwise behavior.
The interactive communication of politicians with the voters can be good or bad depending on a politician skills. Well run modern day campaigns will engage the public regardless of whether their feedback is negative or positive. The instant respond to any politician acting can be weighed and analyzed. Politicians can then adjust their campaigns accordingly, in real time, without the use of high-priced consultants or expensive polling.
Another good thing about communication using social media and making it effective is that it engages younger voters. They thing it’s cool, that they can express their thoughts and feelings and make a difference in their country. Typically, older Americans tend to make up the largest portion of voters who actually go to the polls. But Twitter and Facebook have energized young people to participate.
And one of the most important things about social media and politics is the power of many. Social media tools have allowed Americans to easily join together to petition the government and their elected officials, leveraging their numbers against the influence of powerful lobbyists and monied special interests. But power of social media allows like-minded citizens to join together in ways that will be just as powerful.
The first American president who understood the great value of social media and took advantage of its unlimited possibilities was Barca Obama that helped him a lot in his successful political career during the last eight years.
So we should not underestimate the new generation of the social media and its influence on politics.
References:
By Tom Murse
US Political Expert
https://blog.sysomos.com/2016/10/05/social-media-affects-politics/
NiemanLab
Nieman Foundation at Harvard
