Social Media

& Campaign 2012

Are candidates

making the

connection?

Marty O’Mara

2008 election finds place for social media

• Obama campaign pioneers use [13]

Republicans join the social media party

• Romney campaign offers campaign sign app on iPhone, VP announcement app

So far, not so good• Not far enough evolved

• Lack of response

• Failure to connect

• Miscues by parties

1.) Both parties using

• Platform for messages

• Source of data for “micro-targeting”

• Tool to engage people in campaigns

1.) Both parties using

• Platform for messages

• Source of data for “micro-targeting”

• Tool to engage people in campaigns

1.) Both parties using

• Platform for messages

• Source of ‘micro-targeting’ data [3, 12]

• Tool to engage people in campaigns

1.) Both parties using

• Platform for messages

• Source of data for “micro-targeting”

• Tool to engage people in campaigns

2.) Young people not biting(Part 1)

• Youths using social media even less, so far, for election information

[10]

2.) Young people

not biting(Part 2)

• Cable TV main source of election news [10]

• Social media are co-evolving with cable TV, as Fidlernoted in ‘Mediamorphosis’

[4]

3.) Why it hasn’t spread(Part 1)

• Most contact still via traditional forms

• One-way communication instead of interactive

3.) Why it hasn’t spread(Part 1)

• Most contact still via traditional forms [10]

• One-way communication instead of interactive

3.) Why it hasn’t spread(Part 1)

• Most contact still via traditional forms

• One-way communication instead of interactive [3]

3.) Why it

hasn’t spread(Part 2)

• Lack of general interest in 2012 election [10]

• Privacy concerns: ‘micro-targeting’ and data sharing

3.) Why it

hasn’t spread(Part 2)

• Lack of general interest in 2012 election

• Privacy concerns: ‘micro-targeting’ and data sharing

[1, 12]

You don’t have to wait

• Find an app or website and experiment

• Announce your choice

• Speak your mind

• Get informed

References• 1. Beckett, L. (August 2012). Is your neighbor a Democrat? Obama has an

app for that. ProPublica. http://www.propublica.org/article/is-your-neighbor-a-democrat-obama-has-an-app-for-that

• 2. Cohen, Kahne, Boyer, Middaugh, Rogowski (2012) Participatory politics: New media and youth political action. MacAurthur Foundation. Retrieved from http://dmlcentral.net/sites/dmlcentral/files/resource_files/ypp_survey_body_cover.pdf

• 3. Delacourt Susan (July 2012). Is ‘new’ media becoming old hat in the 2012 U.S. presidential election? The Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/politics/article/1227281--is-new-media-becoming-old-hat-in-the-2012-u-s-presidential-campaign

• 4. Fidler, R.F. (1997). Mediamorphosis: Understanding new media. London, United Kingdom: Sage Publications Ltd.

• 5. Fitzpatrick, A. (July 2012). New tool connects Facebook friends with political campaigns. Mashable U.S. & World. http://mashable.com/2012/07/25/facebook-van/

• 6. Jenkins, H. (2006). Confronting the challenges of participatory culture:

Media education for the 21st century. MacAurther Foundation.

http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-

AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF

• 7. Levitz, S. (July 2012). Social media fire lit by '08 Obama campaign may

be burning out: professor. The Canadian Press.

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Social+media+fire+Obama

+campaign+burning+professor/6942036/story.html

• 8. Moore, M.T. (July 2012). Sunday news shows set political agenda, launch

Web debates. USA Today.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-07-23/Sunday-

morning-political-shows/56441886/1?csp=34news

• 9. Nissenbaum, H. (2011). A contextual approach to privacy online.

Dædalus, the Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences

140(4), 32-48.

• 10. Remez, M. (February 2012). Cable leads the pack as campaign new

source. Pew Research Center. http://www.people-

press.org/2012/02/07/cable-leads-the-pack-as-campaign-news-

source/?src=prc-headline

• 11. Tam, D. (July 2012). CNN and Facebook go all social on the 2012

election. CNET News. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-

57468774-38/cnn-and-facebook-go-all-social-on-the-2012-

election/

• 12. Vega, T. (July 2012). Voters say they are wary of ads made just

for them. New York Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/business/media/survey-

shows-voters-are-wary-of-tailored-political-ads.html?_r=2

• 13. Weiner, R. (August 2012), How to win the 2012 social media

campaign. Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-to-win-the-2012-

social-media-election/gJQA1qRyNX_topic.html