Politics and the Twitter Revolution: How Tweets Influence the Relationship between Political Leaders and the Public

John H. Parmelee; Shannon L. Bichard

doi:10.5771/9780739165027

Summary

Politics and the Twitter Revolution: How Tweets Influence the Relationship between Political Leaders and the Public, by John H. Parmelee and Shannon L. Bichard, is the first comprehensive examination of how Twitter is used politically. Surveys and in-depth interviews with political Twitter users answer several important questions, including: Who follows the political leaders on Twitter, and why? How persuasive are political tweets? Is political Twitter use good for democracy?

These and other questions are answered from theoretical perspectives, such as uses and gratifications, word-of-mouth communication, selective exposure, innovation characteristics, and the continuity-discontinuity framework. In addition, content analysis and frame analysis illustrate how political leaders' tweets frame their policies and personalities.

The findings in Politics and the Twitter Revolution show Twitter to be surprisingly influential on political discourse. Twitter has caused major changes in how people engage politically. Followers regularly take actions that are requested in leaders' tweets, and, in many cases, leaders' tweets shape followers' political views more than friends and family. Other findings raise concerns. For some, Twitter use contributes to political polarization, and there is frequently a disconnect between what followers expect from leaders on Twitter and what those leaders are giving them.

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2011
Copyright Year: 2011
ISBN-Print: 978-0-7391-6500-3
ISBN-Online: 978-0-7391-6502-7
Publisher: Lexington, Lanham
Language: English
Pages: 248
Product Type: Monograph

1. Contents No access
2. Acknowledgments No access
Chapter 1 Introduction: The Importance of Twitter in Politics No access Pages 1 - 34
Chapter 2 Why People Use Twitter for Politics: The Uses and Gratifications of Following Political Leaders’ Tweets No access Pages 35 - 68
Chapter 3 The Impact of Political Tweets When Used as Word-of-Mouth Communication No access Pages 69 - 108
Chapter 4 Is Following Political Leaders Good for Democracy? Examining Political Twitter Use, Selective Exposure,and Selective Avoidance No access Pages 109 - 140
Chapter 5 In Their Own Words: Exploring the Role and Value of Political Twitter Use in Followers’ Lives No access Pages 141 - 166
Chapter 6 Tweets on the Campaign Trail: An Analysis of Frames Used in 2010 Campaign Tweets No access Pages 167 - 204
Chapter 7 Conclusion: How Twitter Influences the Relationship between Political Leaders and the Public No access Pages 205 - 224
Bibliography No access Pages 225 - 242
Index No access Pages 243 - 246
About the Authors No access Pages 247 - 248