Political candidates are to a greater extent reliant on technology to win and get support. Although ads on television rule campaign communications, political candidates are progressively utilizing new technological means and tools like telephone (see voip phone system), automated calling, Web sites, and blogs to reach and get a message to voters.
Political Communication and Social Media
The spread of social media has altered the manner wherein political communication comes about in the United States. All political organizations like political parties, politicians, institutions, foundations, as well as political think tanks are utilizing different platforms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to connect, interact with as well as engage voters. Through social media, people in the society, politicians, political experts as well as thought leaders are capable of expressing their thoughts and viewpoints, engage with a broader linkage and network, and get in touch with other individuals on the same wavelength.
Active and involved participation of users of social media have become a more progressively substantial component in political communication, particularly for the duration of political campaigns and the elections.
Social media is altering the makeup of political communication since they are instruments or mediums that could be utilized to inform, notify, update as well as to drum up users in many ways. Social media users are capable to directly connect to and with campaign managers and politicians. Additionally, they also become more actively involved in political events and activities in different means.
These social media platforms are coded by developers to generate a distinctive digital architecture that impacts and powers the way both politicians and the general public could use these social platforms for political reasons.
For instance, by just following a person on Twitter or in Facebook by merely hitting the “like” icon, users now have the capability to link up with other people as well as voice their outlooks in different ways. Furthermore, the “share” option gives users the prerogative to instantly share political messages and has introduced a new opportunity for politicians to reach voters.
Although social media can be good for politicians and their political campaigns, it also carries risks that are not existent in conventional platforms, like advertisement on TV or newspaper. While the political party regulates all of the messages to be placed on a newspaper or TV ad, campaign on social media allows critics as well as supporters of the opposing party to post undesirable comments on campaign messages.