The role of social media in politics

Bernard Bwoni Correspondent
From the deepest corners of Dotito to Lupane, the Zimbabwe political discourse can increasingly be condensed into a smartphone device. The demographic of the electorate is changing with a new shift towards new modes of information outreach.

This is happening fast and political parties in Zimbabwe have to quickly adapt to this changing reality and be in sync with this trend.

This social media has become a crucial platform where anyone and everyone can interact in an unstructured and informal manner. Dialogue on national issues is happening on social media at a pace that even the politicians themselves have to play catch up with what is happening.

The social media is about instant connection and with 2018 (when the next elections are scheduled) just around the corner this is going to be even more crucial an electoral playing field.

One Facebook user, SaMuchuwe, made an observation about the ZANU-PF website that: “ZANU-PF lives in the past. Their website still has dead people (such) as the VP and fired Joice Mujuru still in the presidium according to their website”. I checked and he is absolutely right.

It is debatable when he states that ZANU-PF lives in the past.

The reason why I mention this is that today’s electorate has become more observant, more instant and more critical.

One does not need to be a web designer, but you can guess that it doesn’t take a lot to update a website. These are basics that matter and hence Muchuwe observed it and mentioned it and then linked it to some inefficiency somewhere.

Facebook and Twitter are going to be hugely influential and will play a decisive role in determining the outcome of the scuffle between the main political parties in the 2018 campaign.

Professor Jonathan Moyo is perceptive and his increasing presence on social media is providing potential voters with information and a sound platform where people can pose questions and discuss national issues.

Young people are drawn to social media platforms where they can engage with politicians and discuss policies at a personal level without the pretensions of rehearsed rallies. The young people of today have been exposed to a world that is changing at an alarming pace.

The traditional media in Zimbabwe used to be the print media, the radio and TV and this is increasingly being overtaken by social media. The numbers of those engaged in Zimbabwean politics online is greater than ever before owing to greater access to technology.

Technology has taken Zimbabwe by storm and social media is going to play a crucial role in the next election campaign. Social media is going to become more important than print media in spreading election messages and information.

It is unfortunate that politicians in Zimbabwe are not embracing it and some view it as shallow. Social media is an important platform for reaching out to voters.

The majority of Zimbabweans now have access to mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets and even in the remote rural areas many are beginning to have access.

This is in no way meant to suggest that social media is going to determine the outcome of the election, but that it is going to be very important. It is a useful tool for assessing public opinion and disseminating information.

As we approach 2018, party websites, Twitter, Facebook pages and YouTube videos are going to be critical in rallying party supporters, canvassing support and spreading party news and messages. Facebook in particular is going to be a fiercely competitive virtual battleground of ideology for the main political parties.

Social media is a vital platform for national debate during elections and ignoring it would be short sightedness for any political party. It is currently leading the discourse in Zimbabwean politics; it breaks the news as it happens and you do not need to even walk to the shops or wait for the bus from town to get a newspaper.

Everything is right there on the smartphone. The social media gives politicians and their parties a stage to engage and lay out their visions. In the case of Zimbabwe social media complements traditional media sources such as print, radio and television.

Facebook and Twitter in Zimbabwe are vibrant virtual forums for dialogue and discussions. Young people in Zimbabwe as anywhere else in the world are creating the content on social media that is playing an increasingly significant role in the public sphere and for political agenda setting.

It is providing an opportunity to connect Zimbabwe’s electorate, especially the young.

The difficulty with social media is always about sifting the wheat from the chaff, the purely propaganda from candour. Zimbabwe is thrust in a world of social media and it would be disastrous for politicians not to fully embrace this important information platform. Election battles are going to be on social media and less at the big rally fronts. Politicians will have to familiarise themselves with social media, make their presence felt and stay engaged positively with the electorate.

The trend in Zimbabwe has seen the ascendancy of social media in electoral politics and diminishing influence of traditional media sources who have been playing catch up with online sources.

The point that the ruling party is “living in the past, yet we expect them to plan a futuristic economy” can be challenged if the ruling party starts to fully embrace social media to engage these young people.

The ruling party has a solid base, has history and sound policies that are meant to empower the youth of Zimbabwe. There is need to present a savvy image on social media to relate to these young people and in so doing present the party vision to them.

Household access and individual usage of the Internet have been on the rise in Zimbabwe.

In 2018, those born after 1980 will account for a significant chunk of the voters and this group happens to be the main consumers of social media and the Internet.

There is need to begin the preparations by recruiting young, savvy and dynamic people to support and better manage their social media engagements.

Social media has the potential to be an asset if managed effectively or a weapon against if mismanaged. The best way to influence social discussions is not necessarily to provide facts, but to provoke them. Provocation triggers debate and dialogue.

Zimbabwe is in this new media zone that has transformed media space and is going to play pivotal role in elections. There has been a technological transformation of news and information. Today it is a lot easier to look at your smartphone for the latest news rather than to resort to a newspaper or television.

This shift is changing the way politicians communicate and reach out to the electorate. It is changing the tone and content of the Zimbabwe political narrative.

The electorate is now presented with instant information than before. Social media is going to be the ultimate battlefront in the 2018 election campaign.

This is a platform that is going to favour sentiment over logic.

And it is going to be decisive.