Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

Social media has emerged to be a new frontier in the communication world. It facilitates the dissemination of information in milliseconds. It reaches a large audience in a short time. Politicians have identified the value of social media and are now exploring its potentials. One of the social media tools that both politicians and the public are currently exploring are memes. Memes are visual tools that are used to convey a message. The power of social media communication facilitates easy sharing of information and gives politicians a chance to engage with their supporters at a personal level. The paper discusses some of the widely-known instances in history, that witnessed the use of social media for a political change. To understand, the role memes play, in circulating political messages, the 2014 Indian general election is taken as an example. An attempt was made to analyze the widely circulated political memes during the Indian general elections. The results highlighted the importance of humor in the memes, that seems to give these messages the ability to go viral within a short period. Considering the increasing use of new media tools in the social reforms of a country, the results of the study draws attention to the creative ways of triggering a passive audience. Efficient use of social media tools provides a platform upon which politicians can understand the needs of their people and hence respond in their manifestos to appeal the electorate.