FACEBOOK AS A PLATFORM FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION CAMPAIGN: A STUDY ON NARAYANGANJ CITY CORPORATION ELECTION 2022

Abstract

This study aims to determine how Facebook is utilized as a platform for election campaigns in the local government election. The study has followed both quantitative and qualitative approaches employing content analysis and Key Informant Interview (KII) methods for data collection. Content has been analyzed under four major codes including a thematic analysis conducted using NVivo-12 Plus. This study revealed that photo content constitutes the majority of posts on candidates' Facebook pages during election campaigns, while video content receives the highest number of shares from users. Additionally, the study reveals that approximately 90% of users’ comments on the Facebook platform are positive. The most prevalent campaign category observed on candidates' Facebook pages is the field campaign. Key informant interviews also indicate that candidates’ perceptions and attitudes about the Facebook campaign are quite optimistic. The interviewees believe that social media engages more people more rapidly and affordably than traditional methods of campaigning. Moreover, they emphasized the crucial role of social media platforms in persuading voters, attracting a large audience at a minimal cost.