Social Media and Politics Omar Ha-Redeye AAS, BHA(Hons.), CNMT, RT(N)(ARRT), J.D. Candidate Schulich School of Business Dec.1, 2008

Who Here Uses Social Media? MySpace ( www.myspace.com) Flickr ( www.flickr.com) Digg (www.digg.com) Delicious (del.icio.us) LinkedIn ( www.linkedin.com) Wikipedia (wikipedia.com) Facebook ( facebook.com) YouTube ( www.youtube.com) Twitter ( www.twitter.com) Blogs

MySpace ( www.myspace.com)

Flickr ( www.flickr.com)

Digg (www.digg.com)

Delicious (del.icio.us)

LinkedIn ( www.linkedin.com)

Wikipedia (wikipedia.com)

Facebook ( facebook.com)

YouTube ( www.youtube.com)

Twitter ( www.twitter.com)

Blogs

Internet Users Around the World Source: Wikipedia (Image:Internet users en 2007.PNG)

Waiting for the Watershed Television has been most powerful media to date Research by Infoscape Research Lab at Ryerson University (2007) Very small online audience political videos, blogs and discussion groups Influential group, but not representative of public Waiting for the watershed moment

Television has been most powerful media to date

Research by Infoscape Research Lab at Ryerson University (2007)

Very small online audience

political videos, blogs and discussion groups

Influential group, but not representative of public

Waiting for the watershed moment

Blogging in Malaysia Can Get You Elected Jeff Ooi, Malasian IT consultant, blogger, elected in 2008 Award winning, considered most influential blog in Malaysia anti-government, targeted for libel suit Concerns of indirect censorship Calls for blogger registration Still acknowledged need for traditional methods Political parties advertise on blogs

Jeff Ooi, Malasian IT consultant, blogger, elected in 2008

Award winning, considered most influential blog in Malaysia

anti-government, targeted for libel suit

Concerns of indirect censorship

Calls for blogger registration

Still acknowledged need for traditional methods

Political parties advertise on blogs

Obamania Strikes Hired well-known tech gurus Chris Hughes (24), one of Facebook’s founders Highly effective branding campaign Messaging more important than message Regular emails and messages relationship building

Hired well-known tech gurus

Chris Hughes (24), one of Facebook’s founders

Highly effective branding campaign

Messaging more important than message

Regular emails and messages

relationship building

Tracking Your Vote Voters urged to report intimidation or irregularities Concerns due to last two Presidential elections

Voters urged to report intimidation or irregularities

Concerns due to last two Presidential elections

A Victory for Social Media? “ The first social media election” Last US election (2004), most tools just emerging YouTube just launched Peer-to-peer content key for voter turnout But not as high as expected 122,294,978 in 2004 compared to est.122,842,626 (NY Times) Different voters came out

“ The first social media election”

Last US election (2004), most tools just emerging

YouTube just launched

Peer-to-peer content key for voter turnout

But not as high as expected

122,294,978 in 2004 compared to est.122,842,626 (NY Times)

Different voters came out

Voter Turnout VEP = Voting Eligible Population VAP = Voting Age Population (Unites States Election Project, http://elections.gmu.edu/voter_turnout.htm)

Lowest Turnout in Canada. Ever. 2008 est. 58% to 59.1% . breaks the all-time record low of 61% in 2004. excludes 1898 referendum on prohibition of alcohol, 44.6% Concern this is not a “life-cycle” effect lifetime of self-imposed disenfranchisement

2008 est. 58% to 59.1% .

breaks the all-time record low of 61% in 2004.

excludes 1898 referendum on prohibition of alcohol, 44.6%

Concern this is not a “life-cycle” effect

lifetime of self-imposed disenfranchisement

Use by Political Parties in Canada Official Party content only Supplemented by candidate sites/accounts May or may not adhere to Party templates/ guidelines Garth Turner caucus suspension (2006) Tories Liberals NDP Green Party Bloc Québécois Website X X X X X Facebook X X X Flickr X X X Twitter Account (English) X X X X X Twitter Account (French) X X X X MySpace X X YouTube Channel X X X Digg Account X Friend Feed X X Blog X Other X

Official Party content only

Supplemented by candidate sites/accounts

May or may not adhere to Party templates/ guidelines

Garth Turner caucus suspension (2006)

Citizen Blogger Alliances Blogging Tories (www.bloggingtories.ca/) 300 blogs, avg. 3,000 readers/day Gomery Inquiry, leaked to American blogger, publication ban lifted Liblogs (www.liblogs.ca/) Highly influential during Liberal Leadership Blogging Dippers (bloggingdippers.org/join.php) Now: (http://www.newdemocratsonline.ca/) Progressive Bloggers (www.progressivebloggers.ca/) Green Bloggers – Dead (http://www.green-bloggers.com/)

Blogging Tories (www.bloggingtories.ca/)

300 blogs, avg. 3,000 readers/day

Gomery Inquiry, leaked to American blogger, publication ban lifted

Liblogs (www.liblogs.ca/)

Highly influential during Liberal Leadership

Blogging Dippers (bloggingdippers.org/join.php) Now: (http://www.newdemocratsonline.ca/)

Progressive Bloggers (www.progressivebloggers.ca/)

Green Bloggers – Dead (http://www.green-bloggers.com/)

Duplicating Obama’s Success Opted out of public funding First candidate to do so since post-Watergate laws in 70’s Led to largest political fundraising ever The $5 philanthropist Raised $650 million, plus DNC funds Social media essential for fundraising Allowed him to out-advertise McCain primarily on television; still primary media

Opted out of public funding

First candidate to do so since post-Watergate laws in 70’s

Led to largest political fundraising ever

The $5 philanthropist

Raised $650 million, plus DNC funds

Social media essential for fundraising

Allowed him to out-advertise McCain

primarily on television; still primary media

Obama’s Social Media Tapped into existing support communities Requested control of largest Facebook group Provided scoops to supporters Text message on Biden choice before the press conference Created value to users Dominated social media outlets Twitter

Tapped into existing support communities

Requested control of largest Facebook group

Provided scoops to supporters

Text message on Biden choice before the press conference

Created value to users

Dominated social media outlets

Twitter

Twitter

Maintain the Relationship Social media is an ongoing relationship Ignore your supporters at your own expense Post-election content that should have been posted New website, change.gov Weekly addresses on YouTube

Social media is an ongoing relationship

Ignore your supporters at your own expense

Post-election content that should have been posted

New website, change.gov

Weekly addresses on YouTube

YouTube Becoming Bigger than TV NBC: “YouTube built on our ripped off content” YouTube views have exceeded television viewership in the past Broadcasters have fought back, enforcing copyright Sarah Palin sketches on SNL NBC.com: 2,304,539 views (according to NBC) YouTube: 2,038,058 views (according to TubeMogul )

NBC: “YouTube built on our ripped off content”

YouTube views have exceeded television viewership in the past

Broadcasters have fought back, enforcing copyright

Sarah Palin sketches on SNL

NBC.com: 2,304,539 views (according to NBC)

YouTube: 2,038,058 views (according to TubeMogul )

Handling Copyright Issues McCain complained about YouTube yanking campaign videos too quickly Refused to give special privileges 2005 helped vote in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Notice-and-takedown (US) vs. Notice-and-notice (Can) Amendment to the Copyright Act Minister Jim Prentice violated song copyright in a YouTube video Inconsistent messages?

McCain complained about YouTube yanking campaign videos too quickly

Refused to give special privileges

2005 helped vote in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)

Notice-and-takedown (US) vs. Notice-and-notice (Can)

Amendment to the Copyright Act

Minister Jim Prentice violated song copyright in a YouTube video

Inconsistent messages?

Differences in Canada Largely a publicly-financed system Canadians finance federal political parties in three different ways: tax deductions for donations to parties; 75% amount donated direct refunds of some campaign expenses for candidates receiving over 10% of the vote per-vote subsidy of presently $1.95 per vote Proposal to reduce this amount in upcoming budget led to non-confidence crisis "cap and gap" - upper limit on spending/ electorate

Largely a publicly-financed system

Canadians finance federal political parties in three different ways:

tax deductions for donations to parties; 75% amount donated

direct refunds of some campaign expenses for candidates receiving over 10% of the vote

per-vote subsidy of presently $1.95 per vote

Proposal to reduce this amount in upcoming budget led to non-confidence crisis

"cap and gap" - upper limit on spending/ electorate

Traditional PR Tactics Still Apply Important for marketers to continue being open, transparent Palin Wikipedia entry “scrubbed” just before launched as candidate 30 favourable changes to her bio Forecasted her selection Simultaneous changes by same user to McCain, with footnotes Expect the bad comments with the good

Important for marketers to continue being open, transparent

Palin Wikipedia entry “scrubbed” just before launched as candidate

30 favourable changes to her bio

Forecasted her selection

Simultaneous changes by same user to McCain, with footnotes

Expect the bad comments with the good

Has the Watershed Moment Arrived? Maybe Social media has become indispensible as political tool Primarily fundraising and organization Two things are certain: Social media will increase in importance in the future Politicians cannot ignore the impact of social media Traditional media and related tactics still dominate

Maybe

Social media has become indispensible as political tool

Primarily fundraising and organization

Two things are certain:

Social media will increase in importance in the future

Politicians cannot ignore the impact of social media

Traditional media and related tactics still dominate