The Affect Which Digital Media Has On Political Messaging.

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Intro to Digital Cultures | Course Space Spring 2022

7 min readFeb 23, 2022

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Social media holds a multiplicity of possibilities in influencing our everyday lives. Whether it’s how we communicate with others or how we receive our information, all these things digital media have influenced in one way or another. This is especially true as it pertains to politics, since digital media, as we are aware, has qualities that change the way how our politicians and political parties express themselves. Author Jose van Dijck wrote how platforms like “Twitter has become an indispensable tool” for political figures since “the medium allows them to control their messages” (2).Dijck continues her discussion on the topic and points out how this ability to control their messaging is distinct from messaging that comes with broadcast media, where the political figures due to their lack of control, they are dependent on the authority of journalistic sources (3). Similarly, these same qualities can also be attributed to individuals and organizations where they are now in the position to control some level of their messaging through their use of digital media. While the idea of using media to spread political ideas is anything but new, and the concept has existed since the birth of politics itself, it is still an interesting area to explore in how this medium has affected the way in which political discussion is performed. These qualities of how digital media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook affect the relaying of political messages is the topic that this blog will discuss.

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This topic is both interesting and important to learn about due to several reasons. First, it is important due to how it can affect us as individuals and as a society. For many Americans today it wouldn’t be a stretch to say digital media has impacted the way we communicate political ideas as it has with all other types of information and political messaging. Whether it is being bombarded with political ads or a random PragerU video, we tend to inevitably be in contact with political messaging through accessing digital media. While this alone can be interesting to think about, another aspect which is very intriguing is how in past news coverage stories about the algorithms of certain social media platforms having a slight political leaning to certain political perspectives. News organizations such as Politico and the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) have both published articles relating to the algorithms of digital media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, of being more favorable to conservative and right leaning political messaging and views. Why did they think this? Why is this the case? Is it consistent among other social media platforms? These were the questions that inspired my interest into looking into this topic and discovering how the medium of digital media has affected the way in which we communicate about politics and how it affects the messaging of political ideas.

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However, with a topic such as this I must disclose my own political viewpoint. In terms of my own political perspective, I would consider my self a progressive, which would place me a bit further left of the political spectrum compared to most democrats. Despite this, or possibly because of this, I am repeatedly impressed with the effectiveness of right-wing political messaging through digital media. This concept has led me to ask several more questions regarding digital media’s relationship to politics and political messaging.

What is the evidence which journalists and academics use in their discussion on how certain digital media platforms tend to be more politically bias to a particular ideology than to another? Can a definitive answer to this question be found?

Has Digital media truly change how political messages are sent? What are the arguments for and against this?

By analyzing how political messages are made and received on digital media, can we find an answer to explain if there is a distinct difference between how broadcast and other past forms of media has affected messaging related to politics?

Why do right-leaning messaging and post seemingly appear to be more prevalently on certain digital media platforms? Are there left-leaning equivalences and if there are not then why?

How does the sharing and spreading of political messaging on digital media platforms affect digital communities?

Can digital media platforms act as echo-chambers for political ideologies? If so, do digital media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook act as echo-chambers?

Answering each of these questions would yield valuable results in explaining the role which digital media has on political ideological messaging, and if there is any substantial correlation between the two. Moreover, I discovered a couple of interesting things through my preliminary research into this topic. As I have mentioned prior, news organizations such as the BBC and Politico have both published relevant articles discussing the relation between politics and digital media platforms. According to one article from the BBC titled, “Twitter’s algorithm favours right-leaning politics, research finds”, discusses as the title suggests, Twitters algorithm. The BBC reports that based on a study conducted by Twitter in 2020 across seven countries found that its algorithm tended to be more favorable to mainstream and right leaning political messaging than those on the left side of the political spectrum (6). The BBC then discussed how they got into contact with Twitter’s director of Meta team, Rumman Chowdhury, who goes on to state that Twitter doesn’t know why this is the case and they are going to look into this phenomenon (7). The article also presents another possibility that it could be new strategies developed by political entities that could explain this apparent bias in the social media’s algorithm.

Likewise, in the article by Politico, journalist Alex Thompson writes about the advantage which political right leaning messaging has on Facebook. The article begins with Facebook stating their platform is neutral and any apparent political bias that is presented on the platform is due to political strategy and populist rhetoric approach as well as stating how the tactics that are used on Facebook have been used since the early twentieth century (8). The article goes on to discusses interviews Politico had with a spokesperson from the organization Media Matters, Laura Keiter, and another interview with the “vice president of Tech Policy at the Center for American Progress Action” where both interviewees express skepticism towards Facebook’s claim on the matter (9).

Both articles present similar evidence that there is a higher quantity of right-leaning political messaging on their respective platforms on average, and both articles present possible explanations for why this is the case. However, what is clearly presented in both articles is how digital media has indeed played a role in this matter. Whether it is due to the algorithm of social media sites or if it is due to people integrating the use of digital media into their political strategies, what is evident is that there is still an underling connection between political messaging and digital media. Nevertheless this presents an interesting avenue of research into how politics are presented on social media and how the medium itself can affect the message of politics.

As I continue my research into this subject I have discovered some promising books which could prove fruitful in my exploration into this topic. The further reading I am planning on doing for researching this subject is listed below with each entry listed in Chicago style citation. If any one have any ideas regarding what other avenue or line of questioning I should consider as I pursue my research into this topic I am always happy to hear feedback.

The Affect Which Digital Media Has On Political Messaging.

Written by Eric W Reed