tweet and win? the role of social media in political discourse
DESCRIPTION
This presentation was created for students in the Political Communication class at Oklahoma Baptist UniversityTRANSCRIPT
TWEET & WIN?HOLLY EDGELL, WCPO @HOLLYEDGELL
OKLAHOMA BAPTIST UNIVERSITY
SEPT. 2014
BIG MONEY, MORE VOTERS
Candidates spent $6 billion in the 2012 campaigns and there was an eight million person increase in eligible voters.
NEVERTHELESS…• In 2012, only 57.5 percent of eligible voters cast a ballot
• In 2008, 62.3 percent of eligible citizens voted
• In 2004, 60.4 percent of eligible citizens voted
YOUNG VOTERS
Youth voter turnout rates also declined from 2008 to 2012,
According US Census Bureau, the turnout rate among 18-to 24-year olds fell:
• From 48.5 percent in 2008 to 41.2 percent in 2012
THE DIGITAL FACTOR
SOCIAL MEDIA
“Like JFK was the first president who really understood television, Obama is the first social media president.
In 2012, Obama not only had the expertise on his team, he had an established social media machine up and running (from 2008).
While the Romney campaign was not left in the dust as McCain’s had been, they did not achieve the traction that the Democrats did.”
TWEETING TO WIN
@BarackObama
• 46 million followers
• See the world’s top Twitter accounts• Run by Organizing for Action
BEING WHERE THE CONVERSATION IS HAPPENING
Organizing for Action & Barack Obama
• YouTube
• Google+
SOCIAL SUCCESS
“The real power of social media is not in the number of posts or Tweets but in user engagement measured by content spreadability.”
• Obama logged twice as many Facebook “Likes” and nearly 20 times as many re-tweets as Romney.
WHAT MAKES YOU “LIKE,” ‘SHARE” OR “RETWEET?”
GAME-CHANGER
“Social media takes the power of political messaging away from the mass media model and places it firmly into peer-to-peer, public discourse.”
• Individuals have the power to make a difference
• Obama’s team tapped into this sense of empowerment
• Social media, text messages make political involvement feel personal
TWITTER & GOVERNMENT
Twitter provides resources and information for politicians who want to up their game
• Twitter for Government
OKLAHOMA POLITICIANS WHO TWEET
Full list