Social Media in Elections: A Glimpse of Mis/Disinformation from Developing Countries
Distor, Charmaine, Đikanović, Danilo and Ben Dhaou, Soumaya, "Social Media in Elections: A Glimpse of Mis/Disinformation from Developing Countries" International Edition of Data for Policy Conference, London, 2024/06/15.
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Conference Publication
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Sub-type Conference paper Author Distor, Charmaine
Đikanović, Danilo
Ben Dhaou, SoumayaTitle Social Media in Elections: A Glimpse of Mis/Disinformation from Developing Countries Publication Date 2024 Place of Publication London Publisher Zenodo Pages V, 5 Title of Event International Edition of Data for Policy Conference Date of Event 2024/06/15 Place of Event London Language eng Abstract Technology, particularly social media, plays an essential role in shaping societal perceptions and political discourse in the contemporary political landscape. Scholars like Hendricks and Schill (2017) assert that modern political campaigns are integrally interlinked with social media use, highlighting their critical role in contemporary political communication strategies. Social media’s significance lies not only in its role as a platform for information dissemination but also in its capacity to facilitate engagement and community-building. For instance, Obama’s 2008 campaign leveraged social media platforms to disseminate information, gather data, and strategically foster virtual communities (Cogburn & Espinoza-Vasquez, 2011). The accessibility, interactivity, and immediacy of social media have transformed the landscape of political communication, with contextual factors such as actors, timing, and political systems further amplifying its influence (Zhang, 2016). While existing literature extensively covers the potential benefits of social media for political campaigning, including its cost-effectiveness, lack of traditional media gatekeeping, and impact on electoral outcomes (Strandberg, 2013; Hendricks & Schill, 2017; Gibson, 2015; Smyth & Best, 2013; Brito et al., 2019; Bright et al., 2020), research on its adverse effects, particularly within the democratic frameworks of developing economies, remains rare. Hence, this study aims to contribute to this literature on the intersection of social media and governmental affairs, focusing specifically on the prevalence of mis/disinformation during electoral periods in developing countries. The main objective is to analyze the strategies used by the key stakeholders within this ecosystem and assess their effects on electoral processes Keyword Social Media
Political Campaigns
Disinformation
Developing Countries
Electoral ProcessesCopyright Holder Zenodo Copyright Year 2024 Copyright type Creative commons DOI 10.5281/zenodo.12632317. -
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