Use of New Media in Indian Political Campaigning System Rahul K* Amity School of Communication, Amity University, Haryana, India
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al Science tic & li P Rahul, J Pol Sci Pub Aff 2016, 4:2 o u P b f l i o c DOI: 10.4172/2332-0761.1000204 l A a Journal of Political Sciences & f n f r a u i r o s J ISSN: 2332-0761 Public Affairs Research Article Open Access Use of New Media in Indian Political Campaigning System Rahul K* Amity School of Communication, Amity University, Haryana, India Abstract From e-mailing and e-commerce to e-governance, internet has brought us all at a single platform leaving the constraints of time and space far behind. The social engagement in socio-politico activities and people’s proactive participation in political agenda is also increased through social media and viral usage of networking. However, our communication process is still in its evolution and in turn its effects can be traced on the socio-economic-political life of the ‘Information Society’. Nonetheless, in a country with cultural complexity and striking inequalities in terms of access and reach, literacy, linguistic and spatial differences, it would be essential to make a study of various aspects involved while discussing the use of social media in political campaigning at a large canvas. Keywords: New media; Political communication; Social media; • After the extensive use of social media during Anna Hazare Campaigning; Internet; Technology Campaign in India and witnessing the success of the same, government and opposition political parties have also started Introduction of New media utilizing this tool to register their influence. It was more than a decade, when internet marked as a powerful In the light of above observations the present study would strive to medium of communication globally. However, due to technological find out the interrelationship between the socio-political fabric of the reach and access, it was more vocal in the developed countries and country and the communication process initiated by the social media developing countries like India. The world witnessed real command tools. Further the study would also attempt to know the strategic moves of internet during the presidential election campaigning of the year of the political parties specially to use social media in political campaign, 2000 when in the US the internet provided a new interactivity tool of implications and limitations of social media in the same, whether social direct conversation between the candidate and voters. From then it is media may be an effective tool for it or is it only successful while being continuously growing leap and bound and have become an integral a part of a convergent system. Therefore, the study would also look into part of the communications in political campaign. As public access the question of relevance of traditional media in contrast to the new to the Internet has surged past 70 percent of the US population, the media (traditional media vs. new media). Internet has claimed front-and-centre status and campaign strategies’ [1]. To make the study holistic, both, qualitative and quantitative approach has been incorporated. Focused group interview of 10 media The trend has been followed by Indian political parties during personnel, politicians and social-political scientists has been done to General elections of 2004. The electronic messages were sent on internet find out the above mentioned objectives. The study includes a survey and mobile phones created a buzz at that time. The hi-tech political of 500 people (inclusive of men and women with age of 18 or more campaigning is portraying grassroots political and social issues. than 18 years, since they are eligible to cast their vote) to know the However, it could not turn into being a success at that time. Ahead effectiveness of the social media as tool for political campaigning from of the parliamentary elections in India, the political parties are again audience perspective. The study also makes an endeavour to find out searching for the prospects in the new media tools for campaigning. how social attitudes are being a force in changed designs of political On the same, it would be interesting to know the new communication campaigning through including open-ended/non-cued questions in patterns that have emerged and helped in the social mobilization and the questionnaire. Along with it, some of the earlier studies on the increasing participation in the political processes in the recent past similar subject had also been examined for the purpose. particularly through the use of social media; Anna Hazare movement, for instance. Social media is comprehended as a communication platform where it users collect and disseminate information of their choice. It is Therefore, the present study would involve the recent trends in believed that social media catalyses the process of public empowerment relation to the use of social media in campaigning and mobilizing the popular sentiments by political parties. Since, the usage of social media by opening up avenues for masses to freely articulate, share their is getting momentum in engaging the public in political debates/moves experiences and to raise concerns creating the possibility of their especially when the previous model of e-campaigning by political parties failed on ‘ground’, it would be pertinent to make certain observations: *Corresponding author: Rahul K, Assistant Professor, Amity School of Communication, Amity University, Haryana, India, Tel: 0124 233 7015; E-mail: • The social media has provided a virtual platform for political [email protected] debates. Received May 13, 2016; Accepted May 26, 2016; Published May 28, 2016 • It will also provide a new tool of pre-election polls. So far it Citation: Rahul K (2016) Use of New Media in Indian Political Campaigning System. J Pol Sci Pub Aff 4: 204. doi:10.4172/2332-0761.1000204 has been observed that the advent of new media and increased usage of social media has stimulated the practice of voting Copyright: © 2016 Rahul K. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted among the educated class, which used to keep itself aloof from use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and the election process earlier. source are credited. J Pol Sci Pub Aff ISSN: 2332-0761 JPSPA, an open access journal Volume 4 • Issue 2 • 1000204 Citation: Rahul K (2016) Use of New Media in Indian Political Campaigning System. J Pol Sci Pub Aff 4: 204. doi:10.4172/2332-0761.1000204 Page 2 of 7 further enrichment. Therefore, it is pertinent to know the use of social We still cannot deny the fact that the new/social media has blurred media in the political process. the earlier patterns of communication process and it has brought the global and local at the same platform. it is a new form of media Social Media and a New Public Sphere and the process of socialization is still on. According to Prof. Anand Technology changes the communication process with a change in Kumar, “It is the virtue of social media to always remain in novelty itself. With the advent of new media technologies the communication and that is providing the nature of it’s being evergreen. The discourse process became more direct, fast and complex. This has also led to a at a common platform has started.” Indisputably, social media has process of shrinking words and expanding access at the same time. increased public opinion with an increased knowledge base among the Certainly, this change has a bearing on the social fabric as well. Till the masses. Social media sites such as Twitter have encouraged people to recent past, dissemination of information and news was the business express and politically involve themselves through the use of media of formal organizations with a great degree of credibility. It was a tools be it laptop or mobile phone. The next sections of the paper closely one way communication mode, however the pattern of information examines whether the political behavioural change among people have dissemination has now been changed to two way communication with its bearing on the upcoming elections in India or not. almost no cost for accessing that information. Is it going to affect the voting pattern? To respond is an obvious societal nature. However, earlier it was Social media is definitely playing a crucial role in opinion formation limited to interpersonal communication and time and space were the as well as mobilization of masses. The best example is the way public constraints in the process of communication. Internet is undoubtedly movements against existing governments were coordinated and converting a larger society from passive to active. Today social media is carried out in the Arab world. In India governments have been using not only confined to the metropolis but reaching to the small cities and the social media to propagate the welfare activities carried out by them towns among the educated youth. Laptop, mobile and internet driven and to reach the public at large to address their grievances. However, discourses have already been initiated in the society. It has an impact in post Anna’s movement for Jan Lokpal the usage of social media for the democratic polity and the protest for Lokpal Bill initiated by Anna creating political consciousness and organizing mass movements has Hazare was symbolic of this emerging public sphere. The audience of grown by leaps and bounds. ‘As John Dewey put it, there are two types social media is, thus, interactive and reflective in a multimedia society of knowledge: that of the spectator and that of the actor or participant. of present. Unlike the mainstream media it is providing a pluralistic Studying how CMC is being used for social and political change appeals platform to people and also setting agenda other than the agenda set by mostly to the latter category’ [3].