Social media and democracy
Donald Trump is a master of the use of Twitter. This analysis by Sean Aday and Deen Freelon on the impact of social media during Egypt’s attempted transition to democracy describe the impact of communication within groups using social media.
They have fundamental lessons on the way in which campaigns are fought in the modern world.
(Sean Aday is an associate professor of political communication and international affairs at George Washington University and director of Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communications. Follow him @adaystew. Deen Freelon is an associate professor of communication studies at American University.)
The impact of Facebook on the US election
‘Facebook’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has again rejected claims the social network affected the US presidential election, saying it is “extremely unlikely” news hoaxes changed the outcome. …
‘Ensnared in a string of content controversies in recent months, Facebook is insisting it is a technology company, not a media firm. But scrutiny of the site has heightened since the surprise election of Republican Donald Trump, with critics alleging the site helped spread lies via fake news stories and hoaxes.’ (Sydney Mornig Herald, 14.11.16)