Political Networks on Twitter: Tweeting the Queensland State ElectionAxel Bruns, Stephen Harrington, and Tim HighfieldQueensland University of TechnologyBrisbane, Australia

@snurb_dot_info | @_StephenH | @timhighfield

http://mappingonlinepublics.net/

THE 2012 QUEENSLAND STATE ELECTION

• Main contestants:– Australian Labor Party (ALP), led by Premier Anna Bligh– Liberal / National Party (LNP), led by Campbell Newman– Australian Greens– Katter’s Australian Party

• Key Dates:– 19 Feb. 2012: election called by Governor of Queensland– 24 March 2012: election day

TWITTER AND THE ELECTION

• Twitter and Australian politics:– Day-to-day discussion dominated by small group (#auspol)– Substantial, broad use in 2010 federal election (#ausvotes)– #ausvotes activity focussed around election day itself– By now, significant number of accounts by politicians and

parties

• Twitter and the Queensland election:– Substantial number of candidate accounts– Few accounts with significant activity during campaign– Indicative of party directives to candidates to create accounts?– Limited use of relevant hashtags (#qldvotes, #qldpol)

#AUSPOL

Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #auspol tweets, size = indegree

#AUSVOTES

Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #ausvotes tweets, size = indegree

#QLDPOL

Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #qldpol tweets, size = indegree

#QLDVOTES

Follower/followee network:~120,000 Australian Twitter users(of ~950,000 known accounts by early 2012) colour = #qldvotes tweets, size = indegree

CANDIDATE ACTIVITIES: TWEETS SENT

TWEETING STYLES OF MAJOR ACCOUNTS

THE REAL CAMPBELL?

• 5 March 2012:• Newman sets up

‘personal’ @CD_Track account(Can Do on Track)

• Discontinued after ten tweets

CANDIDATE ACTIVITIES: TWEETS RECEIVED

FULL NETWORK

(indegree 10+, edge colour = target)

CANDIDATE NETWORKS

CANDIDATE NETWORKS

CONCLUSIONS

• Twitter in the 2012 Queensland state election:– Substantial push to get candidates tweeting, but mixed take-up– Clear differences in tweeting styles: PR vs. engagement– ALP significantly more active than LNP– Candidate interaction divided by party lines, with few exceptions:

talking about, not to, opponents; supporting leader and party– Strong take-up by voters: substantial @mentions of accounts– Focus mainly on leading (and problem) candidates– But: few genuine conversations between candidates and voters

• Consider the context:– Landslide election, long foreseen – no need for LNP to engage– Social media use may be very different in tight contests

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