Abstract

The digital narratives employed by political parties in Spain, France, Portugal, and the United States are analyzed with particular attention paid to transmedia. We perform a content analysis of the parties’ webpages and online platforms, and the messages referenced therein, and survey the organizations’ online communication directors. The results show that, instead of adapting messages to specific platforms, political parties tend to disseminate overlapping content, publish the same messages on multiple platforms, and underutilize mobile strategies in political communication. The data show Spanish political parties to be at the forefront of innovation in narratives, as seen in their search for narratives created by non-partisan citizens and their commitment to innovation in transmedia and 360º video narratives.

Abstract

Immigration and its regulation are key issues in society and, as such, are subject to political discourses that show the arguments of the different social actors, especially political parties. Press is one of the main mechanisms used by these social actors to show such discourses. Hence, this paper analyzes how six Spanish newspapers presented the political discourses on the Foreigners law, as the main legal-political instrument to manage immigration, from 2003 to 2016, as well as the position of the political parties that were the main sources of discourse. To achieve this, we worked with the Zapata-Barrero model, which categorizes political discourses on immigration into two types: pro-active discourses and re-active discourses, which shows their preference for managing multiculturalism as a challenge or a problem, respectively.

Abstract

This paper addresses an aspect not yet investigated in Spanish political communication: the use of data mining systems and machine learning in the construction of political discourse. This text details the potential of Calisto software, which was designed and implemented by the Popular Party (PP), previously used in Castile and Leon and then at the national level. This software acts as a digital political advisor and is currently used by 7,500 positions and party members. The program tracks information on the internet to identify the most relevant sources. In addition, its natural language processing generates ideas and arguments that politicians use to construct their speech. This article explores the benefits of this tool and its ability to automate processes that previously consumed large doses of effort by managers and consultants, and also reflects on the highly controlled model that this type of system imposes in the public arena.

Abstract

This article presents an overview of research about of Twitter in the field of political communication and also analyzes the main theoretical trends. It explores the development of the scientific research into Twitter, initiated after its appearance in 2006, and considers three main areas: first, the use of Twitter by political users (politicians, parties, media, and citizens); second, political debate on Twitter and its effects; and third, the innovations of strategy and use during electoral campaigns. Finally, some final considerations in this article highlight spaces to deepen the academic development of Twitter in relation to political communication.

Abstract

The main aspects of Twitter use by the Spanish main political parties (PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos) during the electoral campaign, prior to the June 2016 elections, are determined. After doing a content analysis on all the tweets generated by the candidates (n = 2,207), we conclude that the majority of patterns detected in the use of Twitter by other countries’ politicians do not apply to the Spanish case: in Spain the opposition’s candidates are as much active as the president of the Government, and the candidates of the emerging formations are as much prolific as those from traditional parties, among other conclusions. Regarding previous elections, the results also show a change of strategy in the use of social networks by the new parties.

Abstract

The strong penetration of information and communication technologies have redefined the interaction of human beings. Internet as a medium and social networks as disruptive elements in communication have forced all subjects and political structures to adapt to a digital environment with new rules for interaction and collective participation. This paper analyzes the structure of relationships among political parties in a local government election. Based on graph theory , relationships between players in political communication in the twitter esphere are analyzed. Using the social graph of each political party we found an asymmetric communication that reveals different ways of persuading the electorate.

Abstract

This proposal emerges from Sartori’s postulate about the primacy of the image. On the basis of this initial idea, the transcendence of the visual image is acknowledged in the perception of the political scene. The objective is to apply this idea to the social network Instagram. We study the conjunction between visual and verbal framing in the content published by five candidates for the presidency of the Government of Spain; data retrieval began with the call for elections in 2015 and continued until the final inauguration session in October 2016. Our study aims to verify a hypothesis centered on the fact that leaders share videos and photographs to humanize their figure. Furthermore, the content analysis of 885 images reveals a growing process of celebrification of politicians active in Instagram, allowing for the discovery of dichotomies that operate in such a process.

Abstract

Algorithms in the strategies of political parties are becoming increasingly significant, particularly with the use of big data and the inclusion of the automation in the production and circulation of online content obtained from personal data. This paper studies the scope of algorithmic political communication, its strengths, weaknesses and implications in democracy in order to measure the real scenario of robotized information in parties. A qualitative analysis is designed based on in-depth interviews with political advisors and consultants. The results highlight the widespread implementation of algorithmic political communication in the main Spanish parties, although their level of development is irregular. It’s detected that automated information systems are being used primarily in the pre-production and circulation phase of the message and are beginning to be implemented in the production phases. Robots advance in their path as infomediaries between politicians and citizens.

Abstract

Aware of the fact that nowadays transmitting information is insufficient for successfully communicating, organizations are increasingly multi-channeled communicators, in addition to receiving what their public communicates, because they are aware that simply transmitting information is no longer sufficient for successful communication. In particular, political organizations and their leaders have shown a strong interest in recent years for exploring technologically advanced communication avenues, in accordance with the ‘permanent campaign’ idea (Blumenthal, 1980; Ornstein; Mann, 2000). This article examines current tendencies that determine the management of political communication, outside of specific voting contexts, through a case study of five parties with parliamentary representation in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. Using qualitative methodology, based on website analysis and in-depth interviews with press departments, this study explains why these organizations situate themselves in a 1.5 evolutionary phase (Kalnes, 2009).

Abstract

This research analyzes candidates and political parties electoral campaign on Twitter that have obtained greater parliamentary representation in the general elections held in April 2019 in Spain. The main objective of this work is to analyze the influence of the electoral debates in the publications of the candidates and political parties on Twitter, to find out if they have a greater impact and enhance social discourse. We also aim to determine what type of messages and strategies have greatest impact on Twitter. The methodology used to achieve these goals was a quantitative, qualitative, explanatory and cross-sectional content analysis. To carry it out, a sample composed by 745 tweets was selected from those that reached more than 500 retweets, published by parties (PSOE, PP, Ciudadanos, Unidos Podemos and Vox) and candidates (Pedro Sánchez, Pablo Casado, Albert Rivera, Pablo Iglesias and Santiago Abascal) during the election campaign (21A).The results suggest that televised debates act as true catalysts for social conversation, so the publications made by both, the parties and the candidates themselves, during the television broadcast of these events achieve a greater impact among followers, than those that are not linked to such events. Likewise, it is demonstrated that parties and candidates born in the heyday of social media, get a greater diffusion of their messages, because they have optimized their strategies in social networks, something that have not yet been achieved by the formations accustomed to conventional mass media.