Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The present study focuses the recent general election and examines the use of social media by the leadership of leading political parties (PML (N), PPP (P) & PTI) in Pakistan. Print media, television and radio were the key source of political communication during the General Election 2018, but In 2018 it has been claimed by PTI (a leading political party) that the services of Cambridge Analytica (a British political consultancy firm) has been hired by PML (N) to manipulate the Facebook data for the general election. Based upon content analysis of the official websites, official twitter handles, and official Facebook page/group of three leading political parties it has been observed that intensity, variety, and reaction of political communication using social media is significantly increased during this general election. A paradigm shift to key reliance of political campaigns to alternative media such as social media has been significantly raised among political parties.