Prethodno priopćenje
https://doi.org/10.46917/st.15.1.5
The Use of Social Networks in Croatian Political Discourse
Zdravka Biočina
; Sveučilište VERN, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Tomislav Karaula
; Zagrebačka škola ekonomije i menadžmenta (ZSEM), Zagreb, Hrvatska
Sunčica Žnidar
Sažetak
In contemporary politics, social networks have become powerful tools for
promoting and building the image of politicians, as well as for conducting political
campaigns. Social networks facilitate immediate information exchange and direct,
two-way communication with voters, rendering them significant for contemporary
political discourse. This paper attempts to examine the extent and manner in which
the most followed politicians in Croatia communicate on social networks, along
with the habits and attitudes of citizens regarding this communication.
The first part of the research, conducted in collaboration with the company Valicon,
revealed that the majority of respondents (67.1% out of 608) believe that Croatian
politicians should maintain a presence on social networks. However, despite this
belief, the majority of respondents (77%) do not follow politicians through social
networks. Those who do follow politicians on social networks primarily do so on
X (Twitter) and Facebook, with Zoran Milanović (47.6%) and Andrej Plenković
(23.5%) being the most followed politicians.
In the second part of the research, an analysis of communication on social networks
by the two most followed politicians, as well as their number of followers and likes, is
presented. The analysis of posts on Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube
reveals that while both Andrej Plenković and Zoran Milanović maintain profiles
on these platforms, they are not equally active on all of them. Plenković exhibits
greater activity across all four analyzed social networks, regularly publishing
content, whereas Zoran Milanović is less active, posting only on Facebook and
Instagram. However, Milanović enjoys greater popularity (in terms of followers
and engagement) compared to Plenković on all networks except X (Twitter).
Given that the majority of the electorate is present on social networks, Croatian
politicians should contemplate potential communication strategies to mobilize
a larger number of voters through these platforms and disseminate information
about their campaigns more effectively. Social networks could influence upcoming
elections, and the success of Croatian politicians therein will hinge on how
effectively and comprehensively they engage with voters through these channels.
Ključne riječi
political discourse; political communication in Croatia; social networks; Zoran Milanović; Andrej Plenković
Hrčak ID:
324786
URI
Datum izdavanja:
21.12.2024.
Posjeta: 72 *