The roles of social media in 21st century populisms: US Presidential campaigns

George Julian Hendrix

doi:10.5209/tekn.63098

Abstract

In the United States, “populist” is a controversial and often misunderstood signifier in common discourse. In addition, the current state of mass media and introduction of social networking tools has created a hyper-partisan spectacle of politics – especially during presidential campaign seasons. Through the review of literature on populism, traditional and social media, and presidential campaigning in the United States, this article constructs a new view on the relationship between these three topics in the 21st century. Important steps in this article’s process include defining populism and its place within campaigning and media; presenting social media as a political tool and a dynamic personalized informer; and analyzing the US presidential elections since 2008. Resultantly, because the trends of online activity, on the part of both the citizen and the candidate, impact social media users’ self-informing and political engagement, the process of selecting a new US president has become more susceptible to various populist practices in this century than before.

Highlights

Contemporary politics are characterized by their relationship with social media
This article presents the intersection of populisms, the unique methods of discourse used by both “populist” actors and some traditional politicians alike, and the introduction of social media as a political device, as a valid area for future discussion and research
While traditional forms of media are not irrelevant, the introduction of this new “personalized” medium may present a new era of politics, especially in the context of the US presidential campaign

Summary

Introduction

Contemporary politics are characterized by their relationship with social media. Since the early to mid 20th century, technological advancements in media have been harnessed by various politicians to their advantage. This article presents the intersection of populisms, the unique methods of discourse used by both “populist” actors and some traditional politicians alike, and the introduction of social media as a political device, as a valid area for future discussion and research. This assertion is credited on the presentation of social media as a salient factor in populist mobilization and on the analysis of the change in how both candidates and voters have used social media in campaigns since 2008. While this article focuses solely on social media use during US presidential campaigns, the rise of populist actors internationally draws a need for similar analysis on the role played by types of social media in those respective campaigns

Defining populism and its relation to media

Defining social media and personalization

Analyzing US Presidential campaigns incorporating social media

Findings

Concluding remarks