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Paper by Axel Bruns, Tim Highfield, and Theresa Sauter, presented at the Association of Internet Researchers conference, Denver, 24 Oct. 2013.
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#ausvotes Mark Two: Twitter in the 2013 Australian Federal ElectionAxel Bruns, Tim Highfield, and Theresa Sauter
ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation
Queensland University of Technology
[email protected] — [email protected] — [email protected]
@snurb_dot_info — @timhighfield — @lena_sauter
http://mappingonlinepublics.net/ — http://socialmedia.qut.edu.au/
BACKGROUND
• Research projects:– ARC Discovery: New Media and Public Communication (QUT)– NRC FRISAM: Impact of Social Media on Agenda-Setting in Election
Campaigns (QUT, UiO, UiB, Uppsala, CSU LB)– ATN-DAAD: Mapping Networked Politics (QUT, LMU)
• Study design:– Comparative study of Twitter usage during Australian, Norwegian,
German (and US) election– Tracking tweets from and at Twitter accounts of MPs and candidates
before, during, and after election campaigns– Additional analysis of follower networks, national Twitterspheres, social
media / mainstream media intersections, etc.
TIMELINE
• Nov. 2007: Kevin Rudd (Labor) wins the federal election
• Dec. 2009: Tony Abbott (Liberal) becomes Opposition Leader
• June 2010: Kevin Rudd is replaced by his Deputy, Julia Gillard (Labor)
• Aug. 2010: Julia Gillard narrowly wins the federal election
Labor minority government, supported by Greens and Independents
Labor introduces Emissions Trading Scheme amid fierce opposition
Poor opinion polls for Gillard, continuing Labor leadership tension
Several unsuccessful leadership challenges by Kevin Rudd
• June 2013: Kevin Rudd wins leadership challenge, becomes PM again, calls election
• 4 Aug. – 7 Sep. 2013: 2013 Australian federal election campaign
• Sep. 2013: Tony Abbott wins the federal election
THE SOCIAL MEDIA PM?
TWITTER FOR CAMPAIGNING
AUSTRALIAN POLITICIANS ON TWITTER
(data to June 2013)
@TONYABBOTTMHR’S FAKE FOLLOWERS
(11/12 Aug. 2013)
4/08/2
013
6/08/2
013
8/08/2
013
10/08/2
013
12/08/2
013
14/08/2
013
16/08/2
013
18/08/2
013
20/08/2
013
22/08/2
013
24/08/2
013
26/08/2
013
28/08/2
013
30/08/2
013
1/09/2
013
3/09/2
013
5/09/2
013
7/09/2
0130
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
Sum of retweetsSum of genuine @repliesSum of original tweets
Labor campaign ‘launch’
Election day
#AUSVOTES DURING THE CAMPAIGN
TV debates
2013
-Sep
-07
00
2013
-Sep
-07
01
2013
-Sep
-07
02
2013
-Sep
-07
03
2013
-Sep
-07
04
2013
-Sep
-07
05
2013
-Sep
-07
06
2013
-Sep
-07
07
2013
-Sep
-07
08
2013
-Sep
-07
09
2013
-Sep
-07
10
2013
-Sep
-07
11
2013
-Sep
-07
12
2013
-Sep
-07
13
2013
-Sep
-07
14
2013
-Sep
-07
15
2013
-Sep
-07
16
2013
-Sep
-07
17
2013
-Sep
-07
18
2013
-Sep
-07
19
2013
-Sep
-07
20
2013
-Sep
-07
21
2013
-Sep
-07
22
2013
-Sep
-07
23
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
Sum of retweetsSum of genuine @repliesSum of original tweets
#AUSVOTES ON ELECTION DAY
Polls open(eastern states)
Polls close(eastern states)
Abbott’s victory speech
@MENTIONS OF LEADERS (@REPLIES + RETWEETS)
TV debates
Abbott ‘sex appeal’ comments Labor campaign
‘launch’
RETWEETS OF LEADERS
TWEETS BY LEADERS
TWEETS BY PARTY CANDIDATES
TWITTER FOR DISCUSSING THE LEADERS
@MENTIONS OF LEADERS
@MENTIONS OF PARTY CANDIDATES(@KRUDDMP AND @TONYABBOTTMHR REMOVED)
@MENTIONS (ALL USERS)
RETWEETS (ALL USERS)
Liberals
Labor
Pirates
WikiLeaks
Greens
Palmer
Katter +Nationals
@MENTIONS BETWEEN POLITICIANS
RETWEETS BETWEEN POLITICIANS
@MENTIONS OF LOCAL CANDIDATES
SOME FIRST CONCLUSIONS
• Campaigning styles:– Liberal Party:
• ‘small target’ strategy (better to remain silent than to make mistakes)• focus on leadership team to avoid negative perceptions of Abbott and gaffes by local
candidates
– Labor Party:• strong campaigns by many local candidates• lack of coordination across leadership team• Rudd surprising quiet on social media
– Greens:• high levels of activity, especially from Milne – too much?
• Public resonance:– discussion mainly about leaders, rather than engaging with / retweeting them– no partisan choices in @mentions of political candidates– strong partisan selectivity in retweets of political candidates, few retweets overall– more @mentions of Labor candidates, especially on election night: encouraging?
http://mappingonlinepublics.net/@snurb_dot_info
@timhighfield
@lena_sauter
@jeanburgess
@dpwoodford
@_StephenH
@quods
@socialmediaQUT