The balancing beam that is the social media

y MORGAN HOWE

In the 2007 Federal election the Labor party ran a prominent internet campaign promoting its leader Kevin Rudd, a campaign that became known as ‘Kevin 07’ . This campaign was closely monitored by the mainstream media and led to the two major parties, Labor and Liberal, forging a significant internet presence ahead of the 2010 Federal election. The rise in popularity of social media mediums such as ‘Facebook’ and ‘Twitter’ gave politicians, and just as significantly journalists, two more out outlets to express themselves. However, there is a divide between those who are using Twitter and Facebook as an extension of their pre existing professional agendas, and those who are using it to give people an insight into their “personal life”, a side of them not traditionally reported on by the mainstream media. It is also questionable as to how much insight the general public wants into the private lives of these prominent individuals, and whether this insight adds to their likeability. The 2010 Election was a good opportunity to focus on how politicians and journalists are using these new forms of social media, and also a chance to theorize the most successful way they can be used.
A popular and regular user of Twitter is the MP Malcolm Turnbull . His “tweets” tend to be of a more personal nature. He also actively engages himself with members of the public by replying specifically to people who have “tweeted” him with comments or questions. On the 18th of August, just 3 days before the election, Mr Turnbull tweeted, “With Richo working for Seven Network, shouldn't their new channel be 7Maaaaate? ”. At a time when many politicians where using social media tools to regurgitate political rhetoric, Mr Turnbull was using his twitter to make a joke, clearly giving the public an insight into his character. On the same day, Prime Minister Julia Gillard was also actively tweeting. Her tweets however, were clearly campaign orientated as she talked about the National Broadband Network, as well as other Labor policies . This difference in tweeting between these two prominent politicians is common. Mr Turnbull uses the medium to show a side of his character not typically explored, while Ms Gillard uses it as another means of communicating her political message to the public.
Some politicians and journalists attempt to find a middle ground in their social media communications, a ground between professional and personal insight. Wyatt Roy, who will soon be the youngest ever sitting MP after winning the seat of Longman for the Liberal party, is one. He posted on his Facebook every day in the week leading up to the election. Each post had a political message, but it was presented in a way distinctive to his “‘young” personality. This included the prominent use of photos and YouTube videos, including one featuring a clip from the ABC program “The Gruen Transfer”, a show known for its often satirical look at Australian politics . Finding this middle ground is also very important for political journalists, as they are answerable not only to themselves when expressing their often controversial opinions, but to the institutions that employ them. Matthew Franklin is the chief political correspondent for “The Australian”, and also an avid user of twitter. He uses the medium not just engage with the public, but also fellow journalists and politicians. His tweets are still often political in their nature, but unlike in his position with “The Australian”, he has allowed himself to openly be more subjective, personal and comedic in his social commentary. This was displayed in one of his tweets days after the election that read, “Watching my daughters at swimming lesson – way more interesting than hung parliament” .

The difficult aspect in analyzing this use of Twitter and Facebook in a political context is determining what kind of usage is successful. There is currently no empirical research that suggests a politician’s particular use of social medium led to an increase in their popularity, especially important if it was in a marginal seat. This could then be looked at as a model for online communication. It is a more popular belief that both parties struggled remarkably to run a successful twitter campaign. They failed to break down the barrier between politician and voter, and this was due to their impersonal approach to important social mediums . There are also still many political commentators who are extremely skeptical about whether twitter has any significant impact on elections .

The case of ABC radio host Geoff Hutchinson, who was forced take down his twitter account after making disparaging comments regarding opposition leader Tony Abbott, shows the difficulty many have in approaching the situation. Hutchinson saw these comments as his opinions, opinions he should have been able to express. Due to the political nature of the comments however, an area of society linked to his job as ABC journalist, his comments were seen to “not meet ABC social media guidelines and do not represent the views of the ABC” . This may be an exception as it relates to a broadcaster that is taxpayer funded and therefore carries implications regarding its fairness and balance, but it might also show that there is no clear distinction between personal, and professional communication in the world of social media. One thing that is certain is that between now and the next election, whether that is 12 months away or three years away, this issue will be explored much further by research groups and political parties.

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