Facebook: revolutionising electoral campaign in Botswana?

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Periodical article

Title:	Facebook: revolutionising electoral campaign in Botswana?
Authors:	Masilo, Bontle Seabo, Batlang
Year:	2015
Periodical:	Journal of African Elections (ISSN 1609-4700)
Volume:	14
Issue:	2
Pages:	110-129
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Botswana
Subjects:	elections 2014 election campaigns social media
Abstract:	Political candidates and parties harnessed Facebook as a tool for political mobilization and communication at the time of the Botswana 2014 election. This paper explores the use of Facebook as a campaign tool in the 2014 Botswana general election. It argues that the extensive use of Facebook in political campaigning has added a new dimension to electoral campaigns in Botswana, by allowing political parties a relatively cheap means of transmitting information. Furthermore, Facebook has democratized media access, and has afforded people who have previously been side-lined by traditional media an important platform for political mobilization. Accordingly, Facebook has widened the democratic space and reduced the disparities in the electoral arena. Most importantly, it has generated interest in politics among young people. The intersection between Facebook and traditional media and other social media has augmented their efficiency by amplifying their reach. However, Facebook does not replace traditional campaign approaches but rather serves to augment them. Bibliogr., sum. [Journal abstract]