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WhatsApp, social media influencers emerge as go to campaign mediums as parties sound poll bugle

Economic TimesEconomic Times · 1y ago
WhatsApp, social media influencers emerge as go to campaign mediums as parties sound poll bugle
Medial

Messaging platforms like WhatsApp and social media influencers have become crucial mediums for political parties in India to influence voter psychology. The BJP is using WhatsApp to send personalized letters from the Prime Minister to voters, highlighting government achievements and seeking feedback. The Congress runs a WhatsApp group where Rahul Gandhi interacts with people. Social media platforms like Facebook have seen a decline due to restrictions on political advertisements. Parties now prioritize platforms with a large user base, such as Instagram and Twitter. Social media influencers are also playing a significant role in political campaigns. However, the impact of social media on actual voting behavior is still a matter of debate. The need for regulations in social media campaigning has been highlighted, and the role of electoral bonds in campaign financing has been discussed as well.

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There's a gender gap among news influencers on social media, new Pew data shows

Business InsiderBusiness Insider · 7m ago
There's a gender gap among news influencers on social media, new Pew data shows
Medial

A new study from the Pew Research Center shows that male influencers outnumber female creators in delivering news on social media. The study analyzed a sample set of 500 news influencers with at least 100,000 followers and found that 63% were male and 30% were female. This gender gap is notable considering that there is a narrower gender divide among working US journalists and women tend to outnumber men in the influencer industry generally. The gender gap among social media news influencers could have an impact on what stories reach the public as creators take on a larger role in educating people about current events. This was seen in the 2024 US presidential election, where both parties targeted influencers to generate content around their campaigns. The study also revealed that there was a smaller gender gap in the overall audience for news content on social media among young people. While the influencers delivering news skewed slightly conservative, only around half of them explicitly shared their political orientation. As traditional newsrooms lose some trust, creators have become more influential in shaping the information landscape. Trust in information from national news organizations has decreased, while trust in information from social media has remained steady. YouTube had the biggest gender gap among news influencers, while TikTok's gap was minimal. TikTok has become an important news source for young adults, who use the platform for news commentary and on-the-ground videos related to current events.

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