Social networking a political tool

A screenshot of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Twitter page: US Ambassador David Jacobson gives the PM a case of beer on behalf of Obama after Canada's men's hockey team beat the US at the Olympics.

EMILY CARSON

Not long ago, politicians only spoke through carefully crafted press releases and stagnant speeches.

But changing media has always played a part in politics and when campaigns and speeches began to play on television and online, political observers note, the political field shifted. Critics remarked it mattered less how relevant the ideas were and more about how well candidates performed and how good they looked doing it.

“I think it is good for constituents [voters] to feel like they really know their representative and there are not a lot of ways for this to happen… Right now Twitter and Facebook are some of the easiest, quickest, cheapest ways to do it,” states Evan Dean, candidate for Toronto city council in ward 27.

Media outlets have noted that when US President Barack Obama started using social networking to boost the youth investment in his campaign, the majority of other political leaders realized that it could be an effective tool to sell themselves. No one seems to argue that Prime Minister Harper is anywhere as companionable as President Obama, but in a March 16 YouTube interview, he became the second leader to address his constituents in this manner.

“I think it is a great place to stay connected to constituents or other interested parties. It allows you to control your message and image and be pretty responsive.” Dean says.

About 1,800 questions were submitted to Harper via video and text and the video received 119,000 page views. The interview was constructed like a traditional network interview. The only difference was that it was web broadcast via YouTube.

Social media is often employed as an exercise in public relations in that it has been used as a tool for social awareness, voter outreach, and allows a voice for anyone who cares to use it. Some politicians have had drawbacks; one text, tweet or video can propel a politician’s status or tear them down. This method of message delivery is being invoked by everyone from Presidents and Prime Ministers to the Dali Lama, to Humber Students’ Federation candidates. It allows a large number of people take part in the conversation.

“I think it’s a step in the right direction in terms of reaching out to younger people. But it should be done well, and be made while keeping the intended audience in mind,” said Gagan Bath, a second year Guelph-Humber Public Relations student.

The draw of political social networking is that it gives a seemingly personal connection to figureheads. But candidates sometimes learn that if it’s not handled correctly it can quickly descend into 140-character press statements viewed by few readers.