With the advancement of technology, the language, methods, and tools used during election periods are also changing. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, who evaluated the differences, positive and negative aspects of traditional and digital media used in election campaigns, stated that social media has become an important tool for election campaigns today. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay said that while traditional media campaigns are conducted with emotional emphasis and the goal of reaching wide audiences, digital media campaigns have a more targeted, interactive, and engaging approach.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay, Head of the Journalism Department at Üsküdar University's Faculty of Communication, evaluated the effects of traditional and digital media in election campaigns.
Emotional in traditional media, direct communication in digital media
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay stated that while traditional media campaigns are conducted with emotional emphasis and the goal of reaching wide audiences, digital media campaigns have a more targeted, interactive, and engaging approach, and added, “In traditional media, candidates turn to tools such as newspapers, television, and radio to promote their campaigns and try to reach voters through press conferences, interviews, and rallies. In this process, candidates generally use discourses and emphases that appeal to the emotional side of voters.”
Social media used to reach voters
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay noted that digital media has become an important tool for election campaigns in recent years, and stated, “Candidates can now reach voters through social media channels, websites, and other digital platforms. Digital media can provide an advantage as it allows candidates to communicate with voters in a more direct and interactive way.”
The advantage of digital media is targeted advertising
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay stated that the biggest advantage of digital media for political propaganda is that it allows for targeted advertising, and commented, “With micro-profiling, it is possible to show targeted advertisements to social media users based on their demographic characteristics, interests, and even worldviews. On the other hand, these processes are criticized for undermining democracy as they are not transparent.”
Campaigns adapt to platforms
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay pointed out that candidates can make their policies and discourses more engaging and understandable with videos and infographics easily shared and spread on digital media, and stated, “The structured nature of traditional media requires election campaigns to be prepared according to a certain line on these platforms. However, digital media offers platforms where oversight is limited and social norms can be relaxed. Therefore, political communication campaigns also adapt to the structure of these channels.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay said that the humorous language and style used by politicians on social media recently, and the sincerity in their posts, are examples of this adaptation effort.
Social media trends also used by politicians
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay stated, “We observe that social media trends, buzzwords, and slogans are also used by politicians,” and continued, “For any content on social media to reach a large number of people, it needs to be either very entertaining or engaging in a good or bad sense. We observe that politicians also turn to entertainment (elements like dance, humor) or attracting attention to gain more visibility on these platforms.”
Ensures faster reach to more people
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay noted that social media has become an important tool for election campaigns today, and said that social media platforms enable rapid dissemination of campaign messages and allow for direct interaction with voters.
More interaction with voters
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay pointed out that the use of social media has the potential to influence election campaigns positively or negatively, and listed the positive effects of social media on election campaigns as follows:
-Social media's ability to reach wider audiences allows campaign messages to be shared quickly and even go viral.
-Through social media, candidates can interact more with voters. Voters can comment on, share, or like campaign messages. These interactions can help campaigns attract voters' attention and gain support.
-Political communication activities on social media can be carried out at a lower cost compared to traditional media.
Misinformation can undermine campaign credibility
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gül Esra Atalay also listed the negative effects of social media on election campaigns as follows:
-Social media can lead to the spread of false or manipulated information about candidates or parties during election periods. This can make it difficult for voters to access accurate information and can undermine the credibility of campaigns.
-Again, during election periods, social media can cause polarization and conflicts among voters with different views. Voters can express different opinions by commenting on or sharing campaign messages. This can sometimes lead to polarization and conflict.