The LNP continues to be at the centre of the Twitter election debate but the tone of the tweets will give Labor hope.
QUT's Social Media Research Group and Hypometer founders are tracking the social media activities around the Queensland election campaign.
QUT social media expert Professor Axel Bruns said the Australia Day weekend saw "sustained discussion" about the LNP and its leadership with more than 14,000 tweets per day on 24 and 25 January, the most discussing the LNP so far.
"This is unusual as weekend days are typically relatively slow days for political discussion on Twitter, and long weekends in summer doubly so," Professor Bruns said.
"But a brief qualitative examination of the tenor of those tweets will bring no joy to LNP supporters. The majority address issues such as the Premier's threats that local election promises will only be kept in electorates which vote for LNP candidates; his claims illegal bikie gangs were donating to the ALP campaign; and his absence from the Ashgrove candidates' debate.
"Campbell Newman is strongly criticised on each of these points, and the fact that users posted such criticism even on the long weekend may be an indication just how badly those issues sit with the general electorate."
Professor Bruns said though the LNP had featured most prominently in discussions, ALP candidates had sent twice as many tweets as all other candidates combined.
He said that top tweeters, with more than 400 tweets each since 8 January, included ALP candidates Gail Hislop (Burleigh), Penny Toland (Broadwater), Leanne Donaldson (Bundaberg), and Mark Bailey (Yeerongpilly), with typically four times as many tweets as colleagues.
But this was not necessarily the most effective tactic.
"There is an argument to be made that lower volumes of tweeting activity may be more effective, since they allow for key messages to stand out better and avoid overwhelming an account's more casual followers with constant updates," Professor Bruns said.
The LNP's #strongchoices hashtag had backfired somewhat with a "substantial portion of #strongchoices tweets strongly critical of the LNP's policies."
Professor Bruns said other hashtags that had gathered momentum were #ashgrove, especially in relation to Campbell Newman not attending the local candidates' debate, the pro-ALP #putlnplast and the World Wildlife Fund-promoted #fightforthereef.
Read more at The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/qldvotes-final-week-update-on-social-media-activities-36841
Media contact:
Rob Kidd, QUT Media, 07 3138 1841, rj.kidd@qut.edu.au
After hours, Rose Trapnell, 0407 585 901
