Summary
The purpose of my research is to assess how new media affects the presidential election in the United States. Consequently, I will argue that messaging on social media impacts the perception and preference of a particular candidate by voters. My research progress has been without any problems and has imparted me with the knowledge that I can apply beyond this class. I have been able to understand how social media has revolutionized elections in the US and other parts of the world where social media use by politicians is high. In particular, I have understood the role new media played in presidential elections since 2012. Most importantly, I have also learned the steps in conducting comprehensive research which I hope to apply in future academic and professional endeavors.
Brito, K., & Adeodato, P. J. (2022). Measuring the performances of politicians on social media and the correlation with major Latin American election results. Government Information Quarterly, 39(4). Web.
The article argues that the success of presidential elections has a positive correlation with the candidate’s use of social media. After evaluating the data collected, the authors discovered a correlation between the votes received by a candidate in an elective election and their use of social media. Despite the article focusing on Latin American countries, it has universal application because leaders from democratic countries use social media as a communication medium during elections.
The authors of the article are instructors in universities in Brazil, which adds to the credibility of this source. Their use of research from countries in Europe and North America makes their article unique because it unifies social media use in presidential elections across three continents. One of the strengths of the article is its use of quantitative methods, which are more concrete and can be replicated easily compared to the qualitative methods. However, the collected data focused on countries in South America, which could be perceived as a weakness because the data is not representative of democracies around the world. Their research was not externally funded and they have not disclosed any conflict of interest. Consequently, there is no apparent bias that can exclude the usage of this article for my research. Finally, the information in the article will be used to support the argument that social media affects the number of votes received by each candidate in the US presidential election.
Garrett, R. K. (2019). Social Media’s contribution to political misperceptions in U.S. presidential elections. PLOS ONE, 14(3). Web.
This article assesses the role of misperceptions and disinformation on social media during the US presidential election. The author argues that social media disinformation and misperception had a smaller but significant impact on the 2012 election of Barack Obama and that partisans were most impacted. The content of the article and the methodology used indicate that it was meant for an academic audience. Its author, Kelly Garret, received a grant from the National Science Foundation to be able to carry out the study. He is a professor and the director of the School of Communications at Ohio State University.
The information contained in the article is important for my research because it explores the impact of falsehoods on the Presidential election in the US. My research will gravitate towards the Presidential elections in 2016 and 2020, which were marred by falsehoods spread through social media. The use of quantitative methods to show the quantified impact of misperceptions on the election makes the article unique. Additionally, its focus on the US is a strength that makes it a splendid source for the research paper. However, data collection on disinformation in the US presidential election was collected over a few months, which was not enough time to understand its impact. The authors have not disclosed any conflict of interest, which can hamper the usage of the article as a source for my research. Finally, I will use information in this article to show how falsehood on social media boosts the popularity of one candidate over another.
Jensen, J. L., & Schwartz, S. A. (2022). Introduction: A decade of social media elections. Social Media + Society, 8(1), 205630512110634. Web.
In this article, the authors focus on the decade-long history of digitization of politics in four countries, including Australia, the US, Denmark, and Italy. They argue that social media has been a part of political life in these countries for a decade and despite having different political systems, the impact has been similar. The methodology, vocabulary, and structure of the article lend credence to the suggestion that the article was intended for academics. The authors are affiliated with Aarhus and Roskilde universities in Denmark. Further, the information explored in the article is important for my research because it gives it a historical perspective on which to build.
This article has utilized longitudinal studies to analyze data collected for the study, which makes it unique because they establishes the correct sequence of events. There is no apparent bias in the study but its focus on four strong democracies is a strength that should be pointed out. However, the article focuses on the ten years of digitization of politics and misses an important aspect of the limited impact social media had before its widescale application in 2012. This article will be essential in my research because it will offer a sequence of events on how social media use in politics has evolved since 2012.