In the wings looms heavily a general election. You hadn’t noticed? No they kept that one quiet. This week I’ve been asked by the BBC to comment on Politicians using social media to up their poitical appeal. In short, they’re trying, but it’s mainly spin that’s being spun.
Dependent on your p.o.v. this is either a breath of fresh air for political vigour, against what is traditionally dry political rigour, or to have politicians tweeting is just a complete waste of time… With the power and influence of good broadcast media in, what media commentator Charlie Brooker calls ‘decline‘ (and I respect Charlie a lot, so thing must be on a knife edge. Well you have only to look at the ‘entertainment’ for a Saturday night) then the real time and live updates of Twitter and Facebook could be just what this election needs to ‘sexy’ it up a bit. Ok, a LOT. And as a long time lover of social media (and one of the first recruits to Facebook and with only 2 friends. I was cool) it is easy to see the attraction of tools that allow for broadcast to the masses. Even if these masses seem mostly disinterested with any tweeting attempts that are not backed up by the wives of the electoral elite. @SarahBrown and @MichelleWorks as the respective Mrs Gordon Brown and Mrs Barack Obama update with poise, wit and prose and have already bettered any of the dry political text that their husbands tweet.
So far by the leaders of the political parties there has been limited (success) social media engagement. Nick Clegg for the Lib Dems can be found answering Your questions posted from Facebook. See that Facebook. He is so down with the yoff of today, logged on and totally listening. Listen you can even hear Big Ben striking the hour in the background from the H to the of to the C (House of Commons). Of equal social media presence is David Cameron, who can be viewed on YouTube in answer to questions from @loudmouthman (how appropriate. *cough* set up *cough*). This makes Cameron appear even cooler than Clegg. He’s using Twitter. Wow! even yoff shy away from that! Uber networked Cameron!
Then there’s Gordon. Who hasn’t answered anyone with any social media flamboyencey, but does have a Head of Digital Communications, Mark Flanagan, whose job description also includes being @DowningStreet the official tweeting channel of Number10.
Err, cool.
So far it is Clegg in my book who wins the which political party is the tweetest contest, with one of his peers tweeting the following,
See that, he has peers on Twitter too, but then Phil Willis should be tweeting as he is Chairman of the House of Commons Science & Technology Select Committee. I bet he has an iPhone too.
So Facebook or Twitter; Tory, LibDem or Labour: Which is it to be? To help you choose I will be arranging the very best and the very worse of the political updates to come: Critically following every social media output for political meaning, deconstructing each frame for hidden meaning and gaining knowledge from the wave of public dis/interest.
In all likelihood such presence will not affect the election in either way (yes, come on we know this is a two horse race). Non of the parties has Obama’s charisma or Nicholas Sarkozy’s designer wife. They do, however, have the power to lurk ominously on the social media side-lines waiting to pounce with the perfect update that will sway your vote. In the run up I am sure that Brown, Cameron and Clegg will reveal something about what they may stand for, perhaps there will even be an invite to tweet live at the TV electoral debate – where the spin promises to be a bleak as Britains credit outlook.
About Dr Mariann Hardey
I hold the position of Lecturer in Social Media Marketing at Durham Business School. I also spend too much time enjoying social technologies, media+ stuff. That'll make me a Geek then. And a gal.
