Read 'The Press and the Prime Minister' - an analysis of the media coverage of the 2015 UK general election. You'll need our Media Magazine archive - go to MM53 (page 12).
1) What does the article suggest was the main media influence on the 2015 general election?
- The article suggests that daily national newspapers had some influence of the 2015 elections. Newspaper that had more of a conservative belief had more of a direct headline that told voters to not vote for labour and the fact that Miliband was portrayed negatively for years
2) What examples are provided of how social media was used during the 2015 election campaign?
- Hashtags were created (#JeSuisEd) to ridicule Miliband eating a sandwich.
- Fan accounts were made in support of The labour party.
3) Does analysis of the 2015 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional institutions?
- To an extent it has challenged traditional media in the sense that more people are sharing their views more publicly and there is more of a chance of their voices being heard. However, it can also be seen as not having much of an affect as people tend to follow or read things that support their own views and ideologies and hence social media wont have an affect on their attitudes towards things as what they see on social media only reinforces what they believe in.
Now read this Guardian article on social media influence in the recent 2017 UK general election.
4) Why does it suggest Labour "won the social media election" in 2017?
- That social media is increasingly becoming an important factor in the elections and that they have to take it into consideration. The party used Facebook, Twitter and online videos to build and motivate its voter base, rather than to attack the Conservatives.
5) What examples are provided of how the parties used social media during the 2017 election campaign?
- In the final moments of the elections the Tories were using social media to target Labour marginals than defending its own seats.
- There were more Labour than the Tories
- Twitter is considered as labour's stronghold, they spent money on promoting the hashtag #ForTheMany
6) Does analysis of the 2017 election suggest that new and digital media has challenged the power of traditional institutions?
- Social media is now a key aspect in elections and has challenged the power of traditional institutions as party leaders have to also take into consideration that print is a dying media and most things are done online.
7) Finally, write a paragraph summarising your own opinion on this debate: Have the inequalities that characterise old media ownership extended into new media ownership? Is the internet run by powerful media institutions?
- I think that social media is growing and becoming increasingly more affective as the years go by. In order to reach a larger audience social media will become the key factor for future elections.