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.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Acknowledgments
Chapter One: Introduction: The Importance of Twitter in Politics
Chapter Two: Why People Use Twitter for Politics: The Uses and Gratifications of Following Political Leaders' Tweets
Chapter Three: The Impact of Political Tweets When Used as Word-of-Mouth Communication
Chapter Four: Is Following Political Leaders Good for Democracy? Examining Political Twitter Use, Selective Exposure, and Selective Avoidance
Chapter Five: In their Own Words: Exploring the Roles and Value of Political Twitter Use in Followers' Lives
Chapter Six: Tweets on the Campaign Trail: An Analysis of Frames Used in 2010 Campaign Tweets
Conclusion: How Twitter Influences the Relationship between Political Leaders and the Public
Bibliography
Index
About the Authors
