Political polarization on twitter: Implications for the use of social media in digital governments

Hong, Sounman; Kim, Sun Hyoung

doi:10.1016/j.giq.2016.04.007

Cited by 208 publications

(120 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Further, previous studies did not pay enough attention to the role of politicians’ ideologies in their use of social media, even though this may have important implications for democracy. Emerging evidence indicates that the fragmented and customized online space may foster political polarization (Gruzd & Roy, ; Hemsley, Garcia‐Murillo, & MacInnes, ; Hong, ; Hong & Kim, ; but see Cook, for a different perspective). Extremist politicians may leverage this polarized space by increasing their presence on social media, which may instigate further polarization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Politicians Tweet? Extremists, Underdogs, and Opposing Parties as Political Tweeters

Hong¹,

Choi²

2019

Policy & Internet

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Why do some politicians actively use social media, while others lag behind? To answer this question, we propose that opposing party politicians, underdogs, and extremists are more likely to become active political tweeters. Research has shown that media attention is generally concentrated on politicians with power; that is, ruling parties and party leaders. We thus hypothesize that politicians marginalized from media attention, namely backbenchers and those from opposing parties, may perceive greater potential benefits from social media. Further, politicians whose ideological positions do not match well with those of major news media (i.e., extremists) may perceive risks in facing tough questions from journalists, as well as the media's gatekeeping process. We thus hypothesize that extremists may perceive greater benefits from using social media, because they can control their message. We tested these hypotheses using data on U.S. Senators’ public communication activities on Twitter and in press releases in 2009–2011 and found strong support.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why Do Politicians Tweet? Extremists, Underdogs, and Opposing Parties as Political Tweeters

Hong¹,

Choi²

2019

Policy & Internet

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“…This study examines the role of social media in contributing to political polarization. Social media, especially Twitter, is often discussed in terms of its potential for facilitating the discursive isolation of users (Garrett, Carnahan, & Lynch, 2011;Hong & Kim, 2016;Morales, Borondo, Losada, & Benito, 2015). As individuals create communication networks on Twitter with those who share similar beliefs, it has been argued that social media significantly contributes to the polarization of public opinion (Bail et al, 2018;Marozzo & Bessi, 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Are Echo Chambers Based on Partisanship? Twitter and Political Polarity in Poland and Hungary

Matuszewski

Szabó

2019

Social Media + Society

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In this study, we investigate how Twitter allows individuals in Hungary and Poland to experience different political views. To comprehend citizens’ exposure to political information, “who’s following who?” graphs of 455,912 users in Hungary (851,557 connections) and 1,803,837 users in Poland (10,124,501 connections) are examined. Our conceptual point of departure is that Twitter follower networks tell us whether individuals prefer to be members of a group that receives one-sided political messages, or whether they tend to form politically heterogeneous clusters that cut across ideological lines. Methodologically, such connections are best studied by means of computer-aided quantitative research complemented by the sociocentric approach of network analysis. Our data date from September 2018. The findings for Poland do not support the hypothesis of clusters emerging along partisan lines. Likewise, the Hungarian case reveals sharp group divisions on Twitter, the nodes however are diverse and overlapping in terms of political leaning. The data suggest that exposure and segregation in follower networks are not necessarily based on partisanship.

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“…Sounman Hong and Sun Hyoung Kim, in their 2016 study, "Political polarization on twitter: Implications for the use of social media in digital governments," create a term for this competing view to echo chambers: "cross-cutting interactions." The hypothesis that social media outlets provide an online forum for interacting with differing political perspectives would indicate the notion that politicians who have more moderate views than their peers have a higher following, because this would pull audiences with opposing ideologies toward the center (Hong and Kim, 2016). Hong and Kim's findings cause them to reject this hypothesis and to support the notion that social media platforms only serve to fragment the political community, not bind it (supporting the original echo chambers hypothesis).…”

Section: Part I Online Interactions: Failures Of the Fully-connectedmentioning

confidence: 94%

#MeToo: Polarization and Discourse in the Digital Age

Jain¹

2019

Preprint

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Online platforms have become explosive tools in carrying out political discussion. The introduction of this contemporary medium inevitably impacts already-tense relations between characteristically different groups. This work discusses the divisive influences of social media on the online community, measures the impact of political polarization on the digital vernacular, and illustrates a case study with the #MeToo movement on Twitter.

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Political polarization on twitter: Implications for the use of social media in digital governments

Cited by 208 publications

References 29 publications

Why Do Politicians Tweet? Extremists, Underdogs, and Opposing Parties as Political Tweeters

Why Do Politicians Tweet? Extremists, Underdogs, and Opposing Parties as Political Tweeters

Are Echo Chambers Based on Partisanship? Twitter and Political Polarity in Poland and Hungary

#MeToo: Polarization and Discourse in the Digital Age

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