Understanding the mobilizing role of social media news use for political participation: How different social media technologies affect online political conversation

• In Event: Understanding the Influence of Social Media and Messaging on Engagement and Participation

Abstract

This study examines distinctive relationships between five types of social media use for news (i.e., Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp) and political participation. It is theorized that the relationship between social media news use and political participation will be positively mediated by online political conversation. In addition, we argue that this communication mediated process will vary between social media depending on the affordances distinct social media technologies enable for online political conversation. Our analyses of national survey data show that, except for Instagram news use, social media news use is not directly related to political participation. In addition, our results indicate positive indirect relationships between Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram news use and political participation, mediated via online political conversation. Taken together, this study provides empirical evidence of the pivotal role played by online political talk in politically mobilizing social media news users.

Authors

• Anna Van Cauwenberge, U of Groningen

• Marcel J. Broersma, U of Groningen