www.donau-uni.ac.at/cedem

1. WHAT MAKES POLITICIANS
(LOOK) MORE AUTHENTIC
ON TWITTER?
EUN-JU LEE
SEOUL NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

2. Background
 Twitter has become an indispensable component in
politicians’ media mix.
 Are politicians perceived to be more authentic on
Twitter (vs. TV, newspaper)?
 No gatekeeping, (perceived) spontaneity
 Social presence (i.e., the “as-if” feeling of direct
conversation with the mediated communicator) as
a proxy measure of authenticity
 What makes politicians’ Twitter communication more
authentic?
 Personal/Personalized messages
 Blunders

4. Conditional Indirect Effects of Communication Channel

6. Summary Results of Structural Equation Modeling of Communication Channel Effects

7. What Makes Politicians’ Twitter
Communication More Authentic? (I)
 “The current district heating
system is in need of
adjustment. A thorough
reassessment of the system’s
problems, including the
excessive heating rates, will
have to be made from the
consumer’s perspective,”
 “The toll of brutal crimes does
not appear to be decreasing.
Installing closed-circuit
televisions in school zones,
playgrounds, and other crime-
ridden districts will help to
reassure the citizens of their
 “Just this morning, I was
unpleasantly surprised upon
opening this month’s heating
bill. What lies behind the
excessive rates is the
problematic district heating
system. A thorough
reassessment of the system
should be made,”
 “Because of the high number
of brutal crimes, I no longer
feel uncomfortable when a
closed-circuit television
catches my eye in public
spaces. Instead, I feel
reassured that I’m passing by
a safe area.”
Depersonalized Tweets Personalized Tweets

8. When Personalized,
Politician’s Tweets Led to…
 better message recognition and retrieval
 higher social presence & the stronger illusion
of intimacy (PSI) among more affiliative
individuals
 the lower vote intention among less affiliative
individuals

10. What Makes Politicians’ Twitter
Communication More Authentic? (II)
 Intimate, personal self-disclosure vs. work-
related professional activities
 Gender stereotypes
 Women lack leadership skills: Female candidates’
intimate disclosure may backfire.
 Male leaders’ competence is taken for granted:
Personal self-disclosure as icing on the cake.

12.  Recent data breaches
are critical examples of
why we must work on
cybersecurity.
#Cybersecurity
#DataBreach
 Preventing child abuse
is everyone’s
responsibility. Visit
http://GIO.FD/SlnHr1
and pledge to help stop
abuse!
 Happy 25th Anniversary!
Thank you, Pat, for
staying by my side for
all these years.
#MarriageBliss
#FamilyLove
 For a very good
summer read, I
recommend C. Douglas’
book “The Path.” I can
deeply relate to the
story in that…
http://GIO.FD/SlnHr1
Impersonal Tweets Personal Tweets

13. Personal Messages
• enhanced vote intention via more positive
candidate evaluation, but only for the male
candidate
• were equally effective to induce perceived
intimacy/personalness for both male and female
politicians, but perceived intimacy improved
candidate evaluation only for the male politician
• were better recalled, regardless of candidate
gender

17. Twitter Blunders: Politically
Incorrect, but More Authentic?
 Damaging to the speaker’s reputation
 May make people think Twitter is a space
wherein politicians reveal their true-self and
betray what’s “really” on their mind

18. “Politics on Social Media: What Do
Politicians Say on Twitter?”
 Only general information
about politicians’ Twitter
usage patterns
 How popular the
medium is among
politicians as a
communication tool
 What are the most
common subjects they
post on Twitter
 Several real-world
instances of scandalous
tweets
 Improper words/insults
against other politicians
 “They are running a
nomination ‘business.’
Park owns the party, but
that b**ch is so haughty,
she won’t even apologize
for what happened…”
Control Condition Twitter Blunder Condition

19. Looking Forward…
 Authenticity is in the eye of the beholder!
 The medium is the message: Some of the times, for
some of the users
 Message matters: Some of the times, for some of
the users
 Lay theory about how certain media (should)
function
 Media appropriateness, normative images
 Predictor of media choice vs. moderator of the efficacy of
social media
 What contributes to the shaping of normative expectancy?
 Replication over time: media platforms keep
evolving!