Social Media as a Tool of Political Communication

Ankur Agrawal^*
*Correspondence: Ankur Agrawal, Department of Mass Media and Communication, NSHM Knowledge campus, Kolkata, India, Email:

Introduction

Political communication(s) is a branch of communication and political science that studies how information circulates and influences politicians, policymakers, the news media, and citizens. The amount of data to analyse has expanded with the emergence of the World Wide Web, and experts are turning to computational tools to investigate the dynamics of political communication. Machine learning, natural language processing, and network analysis have all become important tools in the subfield in recent years. It is concerned with the production, dissemination, transmission, and impact of information in a political setting, both through mass media and interpersonally. This covers, among other things, media analysis, political speech analysis, individuals attempting to influence the political process, and formal and informal interactions among members of the public. Machine learning, natural language processing, and network analysis have all become important tools in the subfield in recent years. It is concerned with the production, dissemination, transmission, and impact of information in a political setting, both through mass media and interpersonally. This covers, among other things, media analysis, political speech analysis, individuals attempting to influence the political process, and formal and informal interactions among members of the public [1].

The study and practise of communication focuses on political means and means of expression. Two important contributors to the field of political communication in America, Robert E. Denton and Gary C. Woodward, define it as the ways and intentions of message senders to influence the political environment. This includes public debate (e.g., political speeches, news media coverage, and ordinary people' conversations) about who has the right to approve the allocation of public resources, who has the ability to make decisions, and what it means to be an American. "Not the source of a message, but its substance and aim," they write, "is the fundamental aspect that makes communication 'political." Political communication is defined by David L. Swanson and Dan Nimmo, who are both prominent members of this subdiscipline, as "the strategic use of communication to influence public knowledge, beliefs, and action on political matters." They stress the strategic character of political communication, emphasising the importance of persuasion in political debate. When Brian McNair writes, "political communication is purposeful communication about politics," he uses a similar meaning. This includes not just verbal or written remarks, but also visual representations such as dress apparel, make-up, haircut, or logo design, according to McNair. In other words, it encompasses all components that contribute to the formation of a "political identity" or "image [2]."

Strategic Political Communication (SPC) is defined by Vian Bakir as "political communication that is manipulative in intent, uses social scientific techniques and heuristic devices to understand human motivation, human behaviour, and the media environment in order to effectively inform what should be communicated – encompassing its detail and overall direction" and "political communication that is manipulative in intent, uses social scientific techniques and heuristic devices to understand human motivation, human behaviour, and the media environment in order to inform effectively what should be communicate. Political communication is studied in various academic departments and colleges across the world. Communication, journalism, and political science programmes, among others, house these curricula. Political communication research is clearly interdisciplinary [3].

Examples of strategic political communication in the modern era

"Strategic communication" is described as "an organization's purposeful use of communication to achieve its mission." In this situation, the group (political leaders) uses campaigns as a means of communicating and advocating for support from the people of their country, whether for ethical or political reasons. The following examples will show how strategic communication has been used throughout history [4].

In the United States

The Bush Administration's torture-for-intelligence strategy, which was implemented shortly after 9/11, was kept secret for several years, as was the amount of cooperation of many other governments. While the Bush administration participated in SPC to publicly reframe and defend its secret strategy, which was progressively revealed from 2004 onwards, prompted by the Abu Ghraib torture images. Silencing and persuasive discursive action were included in SPC.

In the United Nations

The United Nations is another illustration of strategic political communication's importance and impact on the organisation and the world. Diverse political perspectives and goals can easily cause unwanted conflict within people, political parties, and, in this case, world peace, in today's complicated international context. Peacekeeping is one of the most successful tools available to the UN in assisting host countries travel the tough route from conflict to peace.

In the Middle East

In the Middle East, there appears to be a chasm between political leaders and the general public. The concept of clear political communication and how information is disseminated to the masses may be incorrect, and the impacts of the Arab Spring are still being felt. "Even those supported by a US administration" in the Middle East are "at best visionary and without any actual practical utility." "Because many people perceive censorship as a sign of civic responsibility, civil society has a fundamental scepticism of itself," says Hussein Amin of the American University of Cairo. While acknowledging that in recent years, political communication in the media has varied and established certain more liberal trends." "By providing circumscribed areas of political communication and discourse, mass media have long been tied to the historical evolution and establishment of national identities and the modern nation-state."

In the Middle East, many mediums of disseminating information, such as radio, social media, and television, have become widely popular while also being mocked. In ongoing wars, such as Syria and Palestine, the bulk of media formats are censored toward the Middle East to avoid additional catastrophization of an event, maybe by the West. In Syria, for example, "the rebel Free Syrian Army" was formed to oppose Bashar al-rule. Assad's Residents inform the government of any shortcomings, and elected officials are obligated to reflect and respond to citizens' demands and rights [5].

Role of social media

The way current political campaigns are run has altered tremendously as a result of social media. As more digital native citizens become eligible to vote, social media has become a significant venue for politicians to promote themselves and communicate with voters. Evidence from throughout the world has shown that social media is becoming increasingly important in political politics in the digital era. The way current political campaigns are run has altered tremendously as a result of social media. As more digital native citizens become eligible to vote, social media has become a significant venue for politicians to promote themselves and communicate with voters. Evidence is more important than ever in the digital era. Using Australia as an example, consider the following: With a population of 17,048,864 people of voting age, roughly 14,662,023 people of voting age have access to the Internet, and 65 percent of them use social media, which means 9,530,314 Australian voters utilise social media. (According to the 2013 YellowTM Social Media Report, 65 percent of internet users in Australia use social media, up from 62 percent last year.) oss the world has demonstrated the growing relevance of social media in electoral politics [3-5].

Conclusion

Due to the platforms' algorithms, which adapt the consumer experience for each user, the social media experience is strongly reliant on the user. As a result of the increase in digital social behaviour, each person sees more like-minded news. Furthermore, social media has altered politics by providing politicians with a direct channel to communicate with their constituents and allowing citizens to directly communicate with politicians. Because it is not subjected to the same "fact-checking processes as institutional media," this informal character might lead to informational errors. Due to the large number of citizens who frequently engage and build social media followings, social media provides more opportunities for political influence. The more time a person spends on social media, the more influential they believe they are, resulting in a higher number of people believing they are politically persuasive.

Conflict of Interest

None.

References

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