I recently blogged about how social media will make this election like no other in history, and the role the media needs to play in facilitating this.
Since then, articles have been written suggesting that TV will have the most impact on the outcome of the General Election. Channel 4’s Ask the Chancellors debate, broadcast last night, was this theory’s first real test. It’s success was not down to TV alone – Channel 4’s social media strategy played an essential role.Channel 4 made every effort to ensure people could join the debate; an #askthechancellors hashtag linked with a Twitter stream on the Channel 4 website was set up, people could engage directly with the Channel 4 Facebook page, and the individual Twitter profiles of Faisal Aslam, Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Cathy Newman all drove activity online.
As a result, two equally passionate debates ran at the same time – the televised debate between the Chancellors and the digital debate between viewers. TV acted as a primary source for the debate running online. Matthew Wells (@MatthewWells), head of audio at the Guardian, summed it up perfectly: “This is what a social media election looks like. Led by TV, picked apart on digital back channel.”
This election won’t be won on any single media platform or channel because most people don’t listen to one channel alone. Social media gives people opportunities to engage with politicians and each other as never before, and in that way it will make this election different. But it should not be the sole information source one uses to decide how to vote.
The beauty of modern communication is that you can absorb information from whatever sources best suit your lifestyle, but the primary concern for everyone should be whether the electorate is absorbing any information at all.
A quick look at last night’s viewing figures makes for disappointing reading. Ask the Chancellors received an average audience of 1.8 million while Eastenders racked up around 9 million. A discussion about why can wait for another day, but regardless these figures show a worrying degree of apathy and disaffection.
It seems that even when the media does make it easy for people to engage with political debate, like Channel 4 did last night, a disturbingly large proportion still aren’t concerned. With some horses, you can lead them to water but under no circumstances will they drink the stuff.
Threaten to take it away, and it’s often these horses that make the most noise.



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