(R)evolutionizing Political Communication through Social Media


Book Description

Online platforms have widened the availability for citizen engagement and opportunities for politicians to interact with their constituents. The increasing use of these technologies has transformed methods of governmental communication in online and offline environments. (R)evolutionizing Political Communications through Social Media offers crucial perspectives on the utilization of online social networks in political discourse and how these alterations have affected previous modes of correspondence. Highlighting key issues through theoretical foundations and pertinent case studies, this book is a pivotal reference source for researchers, professionals, upper-level students, and consultants interested in the influence of emerging technologies in the political arena.




Social Media and Political Communication


Book Description

This book offers a wide-scale, interdisciplinary analysis and guide to social media and political communication, examining the political use of social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. From disinformation to artificial intelligence, Jeremy Lipschultz explores how social media tools are being deployed by "good" and "bad" political actors. The use of "fake news" or disinformation is clearly contextualized for readers within a wider understanding of the historic uses of propaganda, persuasion and political advertising. Lipschultz also examines how social media is used by activists and social movements to increase civic engagement and amplify social issues. The book surveys traditional media communication theories and methods, exploring newsgatekeeping, propaganda, persuasion and personal influence, and diffusion of new technologies and ideas, teaching vital critical thinking methods for consuming, engaging with, and understanding political social media content from a media literacy perspective. It also includes social network analyses which offer visual representations of social media crowds that influence social movements and political change. Essential reading for students of Media and Cultural Studies, Communication, Journalism, Political Science, and Information Technology, as well as anyone wishing to understand the current intersection of social media and politics.




Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics


Book Description

The Encyclopedia of Social Media and Politics explores how the rise of social media is altering politics both in the United States and in key moments, movements, and places around the world. Its scope encompasses the disruptive technologies and activities that are changing basic patterns in American politics and the amazing transformations that social media use is rendering in other political systems heretofore resistant to democratization and change. In a time when social media are revolutionizing and galvanizing politics in the United States and around the world, this encyclopedia is a must-have reference. It reflects the changing landscape of politics where old modes and methods of political communication from elites to the masses (top down) and from the masses to elites (bottom up) are being displaced rapidly by social media, and where activists are building new movements and protests using social media to alter mainstream political agendas. Key Features This three-volume A-to-Z encyclopedia set includes 600 short essays on high-interest topics that explore social media’s impact on politics, such as “Activists and Activism,” “Issues and Social Media,” “Politics and Social Media,” and “Popular Uprisings and Protest.” A stellar array of world renowned scholars have written entries in a clear and accessible style that invites readers to explore and reflect on the use of social media by political candidates in this country, as well as the use of social media in protests overseas Unique to this book is a detailed appendix with material unavailable anywhere else tracking and illustrating social media usage by U.S. Senators and Congressmen. This encyclopedia set is a must-have general, non-technical resource for students and researchers who seek to understand how the changes in social networking through social media are affecting politics, both in the United States and in selected countries or regions around the world.




Social Media in Politics


Book Description

This volume sets out to analyse the relation between social media and politics by investigating the power of the internet and more specifically social media, in the political and social discourse. The volume collects original research on the use of social media in political campaigns, electoral marketing, riots and social revolutions, presenting a range of case studies from across the world as well as theoretical and methodological contributions. Examples that explore the use of social media in electoral campaigns include, for instance, studies on the use of Face book in the 2012 US presidential campaign and in the 2011 Turkish general elections. The final section of the book debates the usage of Twitter and other Web 2.0 tools in mobilizing people for riots and revolutions, presenting and analysing recent events in Istanbul and Egypt, among others.




Platforms, Power, and Politics


Book Description

Political communication has fundamentally transformed as digital technologies have become increasingly important in everyday life. Technology platforms have become powerful political instruments for world leaders, campaigns, social movements, journalists, and non-governmental organizations. Moreover, they are essential to how people communicate about politics, encounter and share political information, and take action to pursue their political goals. This is the first textbook to center digital platforms in understanding political communication. With global examples beyond the context of Western democracies, the text reveals how digital technologies such as social media and search engines are increasingly shaping political communication in countries around the world. It shows how the core processes of political communication are being reshaped by platforms, from how elections are contested to how issues make it onto policymaking agendas. Topics covered include public opinion, journalism, strategic communication, political parties, social movements, governance, disinformation, propaganda, populism, race, ethnicity, and democratic backsliding. Full of lively examples and pedagogical features, Platforms, Power, and Politics offers an exciting and innovative new approach to political communication. It is essential reading for students of political communication and an important resource for scholars, journalists, and policymakers.




Social Media and Politics [2 Volumes]


Book Description

This two-volume set explores the various ways social media are profoundly changing politics in America. It covers key political and cultural issues in today's discourse-such as gay marriage, race, gender, "big data," and hyper-surveillance-from a variety of perspectives and a broad range of contributors, provides informed analysis of social media eruptions and their potential to change and shape political discourse and supplies an analysis of power that highlights the forgotten core of politics and political communication.




Tweeting to Power


Book Description

Using theory and data, Gainous and Wagner illustrate how online social media is bypassing traditional media and creating new forums for the exchange of political information and campaigning.




The Dynamics of Political Communication


Book Description

"The Dynamics of Political Communication blends the drama, excitement, and chaos of politics with the extensive body of social science research that maps in detail the role of the communication media in our political life." —Maxwell McCombs, University of Texas at Austin "The effortlessness and accessibility with which this text walks the reader through theories, current examples and exercises will also make it a very popular textbook for undergraduate courses. I look forward to assigning it in my classes." —Dietram A. Scheufele, University of Wisconsin-Madison "Written in an easily accessible style and filled with timely and interesting examples, this textbook would be a first-rate addition to any introductory course on the topic." —Gadi Wolfsfeld, Author of Making Sense of Media and Politics: Five Principles in Political Communication "...an engaging and timely analysis of the central role of media in American politics. ... The book provides multiple perspectives to stimulate critical thought and reflection." —Ann N. Crigler, University of Southern California "Perloff has offered a systematic overview of the topic that allows us to make sense of the chaotic communication environment we are enveloped within. ... A must-read for anyone looking to introduce themselves to this important research area." —R. Lance Holbert, The Ohio State University ? What impact do news and political advertising have on us? How do candidates use media to persuade us as voters? Are we informed adequately about political issues? Do 21st-century political communications measure up to democratic ideals??The Dynamics of Political Communication: Media and Politics in a Digital Age?explores these issues and guides us through current political communication theories and beliefs. Author Richard M. Perloff details the fluid landscape of political communication and offers us an engaging introduction to the field and a thorough tour of the discipline. He examines essential concepts in this arena, such as agenda-setting, agenda-building, framing, political socialization, and issues of bias that are part of campaign news. Designed to provide an understanding and appreciation of the principles involved in political communication along with methods of research and hypothesis-testing, each chapter includes materials that challenge us by encouraging reflection on controversial matters and providing links to online examples of real-life political communication. The text’s companion website provides expanded resources for students as well as materials for instructors to use in the classroom. The Dynamics of Political Communication?immerses readers in contemporary events through its coverage of online campaigning, effects of negative advertising, issues of gender bias in campaign politics, and image-management strategies in the 2012 campaign. It will prepare you to survey the current political landscape with a more critical eye, and encourage a greater understanding of the challenges and occurrences presented in this constantly evolving field.




Social Media Campaigning in Europe


Book Description

Studies of election campaigns have shown an increased employment of websites, weblog tools, email, and social media by political campaigners, as well as the use of similar platforms by citizens to find information, communicate about elections or engage more generally in political issues. This comprehensive volume explores the ways in which social media is used on the one hand as a campaigning tool, and on the other, by local citizens. It aims to develop a more holistic and Eurocentric research agenda by capturing both supply and demand practices at the European level. The authors employ both single and multination case studies, furthering debates on how political actors and voters embrace the new information and communication environment, in what ways, and for what purposes. The book offers new perspectives on social media campaigning within European democracies, thereby contributing to a more global and comprehensive understanding of how campaigning is affected, and might be enhanced, by developing an interactive digital strategy. This book will be of great interest to students of both politics and media studies. It was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Information Technology & Politics.




Social Media and Election Campaigns


Book Description

This book aims to further the research in the fields of social media and political communication by moving beyond the hype and avoiding the most eye-catching and spectacular cases. It looks at stable democracies without current political turmoil, small countries as well as large continents, and minor political parties as well as major ones. Investigating emerging practices in the United States, Europe, and Australia, both on national and local levels, enables us to grasp contemporary tendencies across different regions and countries. The book provides empirical insights into the diverse uses of different social media for political communication in different societies. Contributors look at the ways in which novel arenas connect with other channels for political communication, and how politicians as well as citizens in general use social media services. Presenting state-of-the-art methodological approaches, drawing on a combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses, the book brings together an interdisciplinary group of researchers in order to address emerging practices of the mediation of politics, campaign communication, and issues of citizenship and democracy as expressed on social media platforms. This book was originally published as a special issue of Information, Communication & Society.