{"id":1822,"date":"2017-03-31T13:15:16","date_gmt":"2017-03-31T13:15:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.porticomagazine.ca\/?p=1822"},"modified":"2020-10-28T14:40:24","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T18:40:24","slug":"is-donald-trumps-twitter-use-changing-how-politicians-communicate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/porticomagazine.ca\/2017\/03\/is-donald-trumps-twitter-use-changing-how-politicians-communicate\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Donald Trump’s Twitter use changing how politicians communicate?"},"content":{"rendered":"

From outbursts and accusations, to off-the-cuff commentary andcriticizing foreign counterparts, U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s bold use of Twitter<\/a> has been a source of frustration and fascination. But is he impulsively sharing his thoughts or is it a brilliant media strategy? Political science professor Tamara Small researches social media use among Canadian politicians. She talks about Donald Trump\u2019s use of Twitter, and what Canadian politicians might learn from it.<\/p>\n

P: Do you think Trump is being strategic in his use of Twitter or just typing what he thinks in the moment?<\/h3>\n

Tamara Small: I think it\u2019s a bit of both. His tweeting style is consistent with who he is as a person \u2014 he\u2019s always been bombastic. He\u2019s also distrustful of many institutions, including the media. Twitter allows him to avoid dealing with the media and communicate directly with the people. And it captures their attention. That\u2019s the strategic part.<\/p>\n

P: What makes Trump\u2019s use of Twitter effective?<\/h3>\n

TS: His tweets look like what a regular person would say, rather than a politician. On Twitter, Trump can say a multitude of things and he doesn\u2019t have to answer questions. That\u2019s good for politicians \u2014 there\u2019s no detail, no context, just a sound bite. But politics in 140 characters by politicians of any stripe should be concerning to the public.<\/p>\n

P: Why should we be concerned?<\/h3>\n

TS: If politicians don\u2019t have to defend their ideas in a public forum, we all lose. There\u2019s a reason why a free press is a cornerstone of democracy \u2014 we need the questions to be asked. Even if they aren\u2019t answered, they are out there and give some context about the issues.<\/p>\n

P: Should he stop using Twitter?<\/h3>\n

TS: This is more about Donald Trump as a person than about the president using Twitter. Prior to Trump, we lauded politicians for using social media. Barack Obama used Twitter and people loved it, and I don\u2019t think anybody would suggest Justin Trudeau should shut down his account. I do think it\u2019s time for him to stop using Twitter for things like dissing (actress) Meryl Streep or discussing foreign policy. But this is who Donald Trump is. He has never hidden who he is, and this is whom the American people elected.<\/p>\n

P: Do you think this is the future for elections \u2014 will more of them be fought on social media?<\/h3>\n

TS: Not necessarily. Donald Trump is an atypical political candidate. Most politicians could not use Twitter in this way, and talk about people the way he does and get away with it.<\/p>\n

P: Do you think we\u2019ll see a change in the way Canadian politicians use social media?<\/h3>\n

TS: I think the cork is already out of the bottle. Even in traditional media, speeches have been getting shorter and shorter. Politicians don\u2019t want to do long talks with details on their policies or answer media questions. Most voters don\u2019t want to listen to them, either, so we\u2019re not going to make them. However, Canadian politicians don\u2019t have the same size audience that Trump does. Kevin O\u2019Leary is another bombastic reality show star who recently entered into Canadian politics. I\u2019m sure his team is watching Donald Trump\u2019s tactics closely.<\/p>\n

\u2013TERESA PITMAN<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From outbursts and accusations, to off-the-cuff commentary andcriticizing foreign counterparts, U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s bold use of Twitter has been a source of frustration and fascination. But is he impulsively sharing his thoughts or is it a brilliant media strategy? Political science professor Tamara Small researches social media use among Canadian politicians. 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