Voting Behaviour And The Media- SOCIAL MEDIA The Role And Impact Of The Media In Elections Flashcards
Canvassing
A form of campaigning that involve direct contact with voters.
It includes political parties identifying supporters and undecided voters, persuasion through one-to-one conversations and efforts to ‘get out the vote.
Influence of social media
+ Labour’s use of viral videos in 2017, shared among young Facebook users at minimal cost, demonstrated how the party could circumvent traditional print and broadcast media to spread its message.
+ UKIP had begun to reach out to voters on Facebook in 2015 and spent much of its campaign money on a social media campaign. This helped it win 3.8 million votes at the 2015 general election.
+ The winter general election of 2019 meant social media played a more important role than traditional canvassing, such as knocking on doors, due to adverse weather.
Limits to influence of social media
+ There have been many false dawns.
The “Webcameron’ Youtube channel in 2010 was branded nothing more than a publicity stunt.
+ The Conservatives halved their spending on Facebook election adverts in 2019.
+Use of social media is unlikely to win over new voters but rather ‘preach to the converted’, as the content consumed by users largely affirms their own views. In this sense, social media simply act as an echo chamber.
