INTERVIEW WITH DR. BEATA MARTIN-ROZUMILOWICZ ON THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA DURING ELECTIONS

MEMO 98: How do you see the new emerging trends particularly related to the role of social media in elections? Do you see it as a problem that needs to be addressed?

Dr. Beata Martin-Rozumilowicz: I think in a number of recent elections, particularly in the US, but also in other countries, in Germany and further afield it is very clear from the recent evidence that social media is really having a significant impact upon elections, upon decision-making processes by voters. The thing that is very difficult to measure is to understand how it is influencing and in what direction but I think is it especially clear that more attention needs to be paid to this field, especially looking at the sources of this social media information, what kinds of areas these are affecting and especially issues of hate speech, violence and calls to violence, what kind of impact these may be having on real political processes around the world.