In the last ten years the way of doing political communication has been drastically transformed. Until 2009, almost no politician in our country had an account on social networks, and until 2017 there were very few who actively used Instagram. Since then the growth was exponential, to the point that, According to the National Electoral Chamber, investment in network advertising increased from 4.71% in 2011 to 40.35% in the 2019 presidential elections.
The vertiginous thing about this transformation is that, unlike other media phenomena such as the invention of radio or television, the change is permanent and does not stop, new social networks emerge and fall into disuse every year. As an example, just one presidency ago, Macri became popular for his use of Snapchat, a network that hardly anyone uses today.
A) Yes, If until three or four campaigns ago the discourse on networks was complementary and accessory, today it occupies the main place in content production and advertising investment. And it is not just a change of channel, but it brings with it transformations in the ways of taking the floor, presenting themselves and persuading the electorate.
We can point out, for example, that in this new sphere, the intimate and the public intersect. To be credible, politicians must also transmit the authenticity of a common citizen by sharing their lives on networks, communicating their values through family photos from home, showing themselves to be close to citizens by doing trendy tiktoks.
Likewise, the logic of the networks is visual: the image prevails over the text, it is no longer its complement. Thus, the argument is built in the interplay between photo, video, audio and text, and new discursive genres arise, such as memes, stories and reels. The ways of transmitting ideas and building political narratives are updated, and the algorithms of the networks reward those who update with greater visibility, and punish the lethargic by condemning them to irrelevance. The option is to be up to date or not to exist, in the world of networks.
Finally, another element that digital platforms inaugurate is theThe possibility of generating segmented campaigns, in which each audience receives messages designed to measure. A large number of applications collect large masses of data that allow knowing the interests and behavior of citizens, and the algorithms of social networks make it possible to deliver a personalized message to each audience. Access to large masses of data makes it possible to make the panacea of persuasion a reality, telling everyone what they want to hear.
However, social networks have the good reputation of being a democratizing instrument, for eliminating the barriers in access to the taking of the public word. However, do we all have equal access to these tools? The generation of segmented content and data analysis are expensive services, only available to candidates with more resources.
Also, who does a candidate represent who tells everyone what they want to hear? What projects are proposed? What possible future are we building?
Social networks represent an opportunity and at the same time a challenge for our democracies. What is certain is that they are here to stay, and they are evolving at breakneck speed. To stay updated and connected with the public, and especially with the new generations, it is necessary to exercise new skills: curiosity, flexibility, empathy and (a lot of) humility and self-criticism.
*Consultant in political discourse and strategic communication. Degree in Political Science and Master in Discourse Analysis (UBA). Specialized in image construction, narrative and conflict resolution.
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