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Online discussion and the 2014 Scottish independence referendum: Flaming keyboards or forums for deliberation?
- Source :
-
Electoral Studies . Jun2015, Vol. 38, p192-205. 14p. - Publication Year :
- 2015
-
Abstract
- Referendums often fail to live up to a deliberative standard, with many characterised by low levels of knowledge, disinterest and misinformation, negativity, and a focus on extraneous issues to which voters are voting. But social media offers new avenues for referendums to incorporate a greater deliberative dimension. Through a content analysis of BBC discussion forums, we test whether online discussion of the Scottish independence referendum has deliberative characteristics. Results suggest a mixed picture with conversation displaying some deliberative features (low incidences of flaming/discussion of referendum issues). However, low levels of discussion intensity, dominance by a few, little knowledge exchange, and high gender inequality illustrate that online referendum discussion lacks deliberative characteristics, implying that social media are not a panacea for referendum deliberation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02613794
- Volume :
- 38
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Electoral Studies
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 102316688
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electstud.2015.02.009