“Politicians are living in the dinosaur age,” George Osborne, former politician and editor of the London Evening Standard, once said. The old style of politics that includes televised conferences, scripted speeches, press releases and formal interview appearances all seem to belong to a different age where 45 percent of the world’s population did not have a social media account to use most of the time. We are living in a time where an American congresswoman such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez can be seen doing live videos of her eating popcorn while talking politics to her Instagram followers inside her own apartment. Many others, including newly elected Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, Bernie Sanders have started to use social media for various purposes, whether it is to steer national conversation, set legislative agendas, or simply even craft their own ‘image’ the way a celebrity does. There a number of scholars that have already discussed how social media is changing the way politicians or leaders communicate. From placing advertisements on social media platforms to build political campaigns, sharing information on policy goals through simplified social media posts, and building a ‘brand image’ as…
Why Egyptian Minister Rania Al-Mashat’s Social Media Activity Matters
February 12, 2020
