The Role of Social Media in Electioneering Credibility
Chapter One
OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY
The broad objective of the study is to explore and examine critically the extent to which social media provides opportunities for people to send, receive and perceive messages relating to politics and politicking. The specific objectives of the study include the following:
- To assess the role of social media in creating political awareness among Nigerians during the 2015 general elections.
- To assess the influence of social media on the voting pattern of Nigerians in the 2015 general elections.
- To find out if social media is an efficient platform for mobilisation for political participation.
- To compare the advantages of social media over the other forms of media for political mobilization.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW AND THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK
INTRODUCTION
Literature review is a well-integrated discussion and critical reinterpretation of scholarly viewpoints on a given research problem as found in the previous relevant studies-highlighting how a given a study will make contribution to the existing body of knowledge, especially on the research problem and other related areas of investigation (Musa B., 2010).
Conceptual Review
Social Media
Social media are interactive web-based media platforms that offer citizens opportunity to connect, share opinions, experiences, views, contacts, knowledge, expertise, as well as other things like job and career tips. They belong to a new genre of media that focuses on social networking which allows users to express themselves, interact with friends and share information with freedom as well as publish their views on issues on the World Wide Web. Mayfield (2008) describes these media as “online media that promote participation, openness, conversation and connectedness”. Nation (2010) sees them as “social instruments of communication which are different from the conventional instruments like newspapers or magazines. They are online content, created by people using highly accessible and a scalable publishing technologies to disseminate information across geographical boundaries, providing interaction among people. It supports demonstration of knowledge and information, thereby making the people both information producers and consumers. This feature of making the people information producers and consumers is one of the distinguishing features of social media from traditional mass media that only make the people consumers only (Adelabu 2011).
Social media emerged with the advent of the internet and the World Wide Web. They are usually associated with the term “web 2.0” which is used to describe websites that provide opportunity for a user to interact with the sender of a message. “Web 2.0” refers to the state of the web from 2004 till date; a period when interactive websites emerged as opposed to “web1.0” which describes the state of the web prior to 2004. Web-based communities, social networking sites video-sharing sites, Wikis, and blogs, are among examples of web 2.0 sites (Tapscot, 2009). Abubakar (2011) observes that social media has created online platforms that serve as a new “political capital” where people resort to and participate in a political discourse. Kweon and Kim (2010:1) therefore, emphasize that social media has become a main source of personal orientation, anonymous, interactivities and social community on variety of issues that involves politics and political discourse. Social media has the capacity of boosting participation because of its openness, conversation nature, connectedness and textual and audio-visual characteristics appeal (Mayfield, 2010 and Bradley, 2009).
CHAPTER THREE
BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY-THE SWOT ANALYSIS APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA IN ELECTIONEERING AND DEMOCRACY
USEFULNESS OF SOCIAL MEDIA TO ELECTIONEERING & SUSTENANCE OF DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA (STRENGTH)
Google is the answer to any question you may have today. The technology revolution which we call it asInternet has changed the world by connecting people across the globe. Today youth is increasingly using numbers of social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Blog and LinkedIn as platforms for communicating with friends, family and work colleagues. Social Media’s quick development shows its influence on society and is a crucial part of the advancement of information and communication technologies.According to Com. Score report Nigeria has bypassed most developed countries to become the world‘s eighth largest Internet user afterChina and United States, India and Japan As of July 2014. The use of social media is significantly complex. Even though use of social media has several challenges such as security, privacy, accuracy at the same time it provides the opportunities for sharing, collaboration, and engagement of users which is provided by the medium of social media. It is very crucial to understanding how and why these tools can and should be used in politics. Social Media has rapidly grown in importance as a platform for political activities in its different forms. Social media platforms provide new ways to encourage citizen get involved in political life, where elections and electoral campaigns have a central role.‘Social Media is the biggest shift since the industrialrevolution’ says Eric Qualman, Socialnomics is the topmost activity present on the web.
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
INTRODUCTION
Hypothesis as I have noted in chapter one, refers to idea(s) or explanation(s) of something that is based on a few known facts but has not yet been proven to be true or correct. In addition, a hypothesis is a supposition or explanation that is provisionally accepted in order to interpret certain events or phenomena, and to provide guidance for further investigation. Furthermore, a hypothesis may be proven correct or wrong and must be capable of refutation.
In this chapter, I shall be proving two different hypotheses which I have predicted, for more clarity and understanding.
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
INTRODUTION
This chapter will summarize the critical reevaluation of literature, draw conclusion and recommend extensively, especially on how the new media/ social media further help in deepening Nigeria’s democracy and her electioneering process cum how government regulate can curb its excesses.
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
Politics have evolved in recent decade with the advent of new technologies. Information sharing has become instant, and especially with the advent of social media. The coming of these technologies brought new trend in election campaign. The ubiquitous access of these online devices has a democratizing effect as they offer citizens opportunities for more fully engagement in the political process. This means that voters have become more than just passive consumers of digital messages; they are now creators of the messages as seem in the just concluded 2015 general elections.
Despite its multifarious benefits in sustaining democracy and aiding electioneering process in Nigeria; social media portends huge threats to Nigeria and her fledgling democracy. The massive use of the technology could result in loss of national sovereignty. It could also enhance cultural imperialism. The experience from social media use in Nigeria’s 2011 general elections and the violence that precipitated the announcement of result as well as the drama witnessed in the Arab uprising in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya shows that social media is a very volatile platform to trend politics. Again, social media may be leading to the erosion of Nigerian values. A poor telecommunication network in most parts of Nigeria, resulting in low level of internet usage is also a serious bottleneck. Inability to regulate and monitor the technology is a threat. High rate of illiteracy is still a major challenge to social media use in Nigeria. Lack of basic infrastructure such as stable power still threatens the use of the new technology. Poverty, corruption and political instability in Nigeria is still a major threat to its penetration. Threat of online terrorism (Cyber terrorism) is still a major challenge.
CONCLUSION
The new media is enhancing political communication in Nigeria most especially during election and electioneering, though post-election use of the new media is still scanty, however, the new media has promoted political participation among users. Thus its use must be enhanced. However, misuse that causes tension and conflict still abound. In order to overcome dysfunctional media effects, Internet industry professionals must be engaged in political communication strategy planning, development and management. Because the Internet is open and diverse, its use for political communication requires a high sense of responsibility. Citizens must behave responsibly. Bradley cited in O’Kane (1994:176) says when somebody behaves responsibly, it means a person is morally accountable for his actions provided that he is not subject to compulsion and has sufficient knowledge to make an informed choice as to his action. These are related to ethical theories which posit avoidance of egoistic obsession with one’s rightness of action (virtues) without reference to others who might be affected. The new media sites should thus be designed in an easy-to-use interactive manner to be able to engage many intended audience. Any web site created for political communication must be extensive and perceptually active to gain patronage and loyalty.
The print and electronic media should de-emphasize reliance on new media and where they are compelled to do so, they must not abandon their roles as secondary gatekeepers. In accessing the Internet for news story traditional or conventional media must develop the skill and capacity needed to read in-between the lines, consult many sources, draw triangular verification model and subject such news items to different levels of gatekeeping. This is essential if the news from such sources will not become triggers of political conflict and verbal assault. Journalists must be concerned about the social consequences of their publications and avoid conflict triggering statements. The process of giving deliberate attention to the content of media messages that can generate, trigger or escalate the conflict is wrapped in scholarship as conflict-sensitive journalism. Fisher et al (2000) describes conflict-sensitivity as paying deliberate attention to conflict triggering factors in the social environment through adequate analysis of pros and cons of message. Conflict-sensitive journalism requires understanding of the contexts, issues and individual actors involved in media publication. It entails proper analysis of the bias, sensitivity, sensibility, perception, attitudes, beliefs system and cherished values of people, and conflict dynamics of that environment. Thus, journalists must gauge appropriately the impact the messages taking from the Internet will have on their audience and must therefore craftily and professionally present their messages in a way that the audience is not insulted, taken for granted or pushed to violent actions.
Thus, in accessing the new media and in taking political stories from them for republication, rebroadcast or repackaging, the media professional must exercise restraint by considering what probable impact mass dissemination of issues will have on the media users. Attempt should be made to establish causal linkage among the variables in the information flow framework. These interfaces are noise, bias; linguistic differences, shadow parties and competitors. An effective way is to structure the message in simple language, avoid ambiguity, shun double speak and rebuke position alignment. A clear linkage between the message and context of the target audience must be carried out by embarking on critical analysis of information gathered from new media and triangulating such information to ensure their accuracy and newsworthiness. Political messages must be short, concise dear, relatable and catchy when used on the internet because citizens are always in a hurry.
Nigerian voters must not stop at relating with politicians immediately after election. They must constantly engage politicians through cross-transaction communication via the social media. Because the Internet is not an open-ended medium, it enjoys some measure of control and professional practice. Thus, gatekeeping has crept into the use of the Internet. Brazilar Nahon (2005) coined a term which he called “network gatekeeping” as a multi-layer system where both the gatekeeper and the gated can create and produce information. Although the gated can circumvent the gatekeeper and gate-keeping process by resulting to the use of cyberspace, traditional media news should not widen the horizon of such news.
Social media no doubt have massive patronage among Nigerian youths. However, most of them use the channels for social interaction more than other purposes, so, if there is sustained awareness on the use of the channels and politicians are encouraged to use it as one of the media for reaching the electorates, more people will turn to social media for political discussions, debates and opinions. It will actually serve as a medium for participatory democracy.
Credibility of social media should be encouraged because presently, most political stories obtained on the web are mere gossips and rumors which most a times are baseless. A little bit of caution should be exhibited by those who post comments unto these social media sites. This is because; some of these comments are derogatory and appalling.
Finally, relevant bodies should enact some laws and regulation guiding the operations of social media
We have attempted to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of social media in electioneering and in the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria. We have also shown that the use of social media is fast becoming a common phenomenon in Nigerian and largely African politics, especially in the electoral process. This is evident from both local and general elections in several countries in the continent in the last few years and in the recent political developments in Nigeria, Nigeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. We argue that as far as the doctrine of free flow of information is concerned; social media is the right technology. However, we did not fail to warn too, that the social media is indeed a technology with double edges, quick and sharp with positive and negative values. Be that as it may, the fact that social media has so numerous potentials that could be tapped to improve the game of politics, enhance the virtues of democracy and foster good governance and political stability in the volatile African continent, calls for full embrace of the technology. To this effect, the study recommends government provision of a more conducive environment to foster penetration of social media and guarantee greater access to the technology.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The study also brought to the fore the problem of weak or no regulation of social media. To this challenge, the study suggests urgent review of media laws to address the technicalities involved in the newer technologies and that regulatory bodies should think of policy sub-sections on different types of media such as Facebook, blogging and Twitter.
In the final analysis, the study strongly recommends greater adoption and use of social media in electioneering activities in Nigeria and establishment of strict monitoring mechanisms to minimize the inherent weaknesses and maximize the intrinsic values of social media in electoral process in the continent. This we believe would go a long way in fostering transparency, accountability, sanity, and bring more decorum into the polity.
REFERENCES
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- Munyua, Alice; “Perceptions and Misconceptions: The Role of New and Traditional Media in Nigeria’s Post-election violence (2007)”
- Unwin, Tim (2012). “Social media and democracy: critical reflections, Background Paper for Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, Colombo, September 2012.”
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- Bailard, Catherine (October 14, 2010). “Mobile Phone Diffusion and Corruption in Africa”.
- Onduru, Lorraine (2013) “Development of the Media and the Impact on Nigerian Political Communication”(http://www.hkstrategies.com/Media_Development_Impact_on_Nigerian_Political_Communications)
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