In politics, there are two communication theories that are especially prevalent: agenda-setting and gatekeeping. The agenda-setting theory states that mass media have a significant impact on what people deem as important issues. Gatekeeping, however, describes the process through which media distribute information. If news was a physical entity, the gatekeepers would be those who open […]
Read more "The Social Advantage"In 2008 Barack Obama changed how presidential candidates use social media during what people called the Facebook Election. Now during any campaign, it is assumed that all the candidates will use social media—and that they’ll be active on many platforms. According to Pew Research Center, substantially more Americans are following political candidates on social media. Just […]
Read more "The Social Media Election"Social media involvement in presidential elections is nothing new; it can be traced even farther back than 2008’s aptly-named “Facebook Election.” But over the years, social media strategy has progressed immensely, changing the landscape of influence for both candidates and constituents. Metrics like political polls and pundits are no longer the only measures of a […]
Read more "Gatekeeping and Agenda-Setting in the 2016 Presidential Election"I think one of the best ways for the presidential election candidates to utilize social media is to actively engage with their competitors in conversations. Honestly, I know little about the U.S. presidential election, nor do I care much about it. There’s one thing about the elections I find particularly interesting though: the elections seem […]
Read more "Social Media: the New “Bicker Arena”"Senator Bernie Sanders over the course of this year has managed to take himself from unknown Senator from Vermont to a frontrunner for the Democratic nomination. Jeb Bush is quite the opposite, the former Governor of Florida, who was considered a front-runner when he announced his campaign, is now all but down and out. […]
Read more "#FeeltheBern vs. #Jebcanfixit"In the age of new media, politicians start to realize the importance of “being connected” and try to actively use social media in their political campaigns in order to “tweet their way into office”. Today, the use of social media in presidential election campaigns is very normal and critical. People will always remember something when […]
Read more "Presidential Campaign and Social Media"Social media is one of the best tools to engage with followers. For the upcoming presidential election, it is more important than ever to create these online relationships in order to become an informed nation. The 2016 U.S. presidential candidates use various social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with potential voters. […]
Read more "Social Media in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election"Donald Trump has excelled in setting the agenda for politics. Using shock value, he has generated the conversation of the political spectrum and caused both the media and his fellow candidates to focus this conversation on not only the issues of his campaign, but his brash persona and off-kilter demeanor. Twitter has been just one […]
Read more "Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders: a lesson in political tweeting"In our journal article, a study was performed to help determine the social factors that help inform responses to advertisements on social media. In today’s society, a majority of the information we receive comes from social media outlets, and these sites have to tiptoe the line between having advertisements as well as providing an uninterrupted experience […]
Read more "Journal Article Discussion: Social Factors in User Perceptions and Responses to Advertising in Online Social Networking Communities"