This post was prepared as part of my coverage of the NDP Leadership Convention for iPolitics.ca.
A podcast featuring discussions about the role of digital in the NDP Leadership Campaigns, the future of the NDP and Canadian politics with:
I hope to speak with Niki Ashton and Martin Singh, today.
This post was written as part of my coverage of the NDP Leadership Convention for iPolitics.ca.
Twitter has been alive with activity about the NDP Leadership Convention. People issuing Twitter updates identified with the so-called hashtag (text identifier) #ndpldr or #ndp were responsible for 16,164 tweets before the Jack Layton tribute began at 7:00pm. That’s more than the average number of election-related tweets issued each day during last year’s federal campaign.
As far as Twitter mentions are concerned, Nathan Cullen had been the runaway leader until late afternoon when Peggy Nash gained momentum. Martin Singh’s showcase, including his son’s violin performance, helped him significantly. His tweet count had been firm below 50 prior to him taking the stage. Thomas Mulcair, despite being considered the frontrunner, has lagged.
The following is the breakdown of which of the seven leadership candidates dominated Twitter chatter just before the tribute began. The number of tweets is provided in brackets. It’s important to remember that quantity of traffic doesn’t suggest quality of content or engagement. It’s simply a measure of mentions, including the candidate’s own Tweets.
Analysis performed using Sysomos MAP.
This post was written as part of my coverage of the NDP Leadership Convention for iPolitics.ca.
Twitter is a lot of things and has been called many more. I view it as a real-time, self-selected, voluntary focus group. During political debates, Twitter allows observers to measure who and which issue is getting the most attention, good or bad.
So, good or bad, this is the breakdown of which of the remaining seven leadership candidates dominated Twitter chatter the day before, the day of and the day after each of the debates. The number of tweets is provided in brackets. It’s important to remember that quantity of traffic doesn’t suggest quality of content or engagement. It’s simply a measure of mentions, including the candidate’s own Tweets. Analysis performed using Sysomos MAP.
OTTAWA; DEC 4, 2011
TORONTO; JAN 18, 2012
HALIFAX; JAN 29, 2012
QUEBEC CITY; FEB 12, 2012
WINNIPEG; FEB 26, 2012
MONTREAL; MAR 4, 2012
VANCOUVER; MAR 11, 2012
Considering all Twitter traffic throughout the leadership campaign, Nathan Cullen’s name or Twitter handle has appeared in more tweets than any other candidate (23.9%), followed by Peggy Nash (22.3%) and Thomas Mulcair (17.3%).
Yesterday, as candidates made their way to Toronto for the Leadership Convention, Peggy Nash dominated mentions of the candidates (684) followed by Nathan Cullen (585) and Thomas Mulcair (377).
This post was written as part of my coverage of the NDP Leadership Convention for iPolitics.ca.
I’ve already written about my surprise that, for the most part, NDP leadership candidates have only embraced the notion of democratized media rather than social media. The difference may seem subtle, though it’s important. Democratized media are channels over which anyone can publish content. Social media are digital gathering places where people interact. If someone goes to your Facebook page and posts a question, everyone sees that question. That’s democratic. If the candidate or campaign fails to answer the question, that’s anti-social. More importantly, it’s a public act. It devalues terms often touted by politicians: transparent, engage, modernize.
Having said that, there have been a few digital activities over the campaign trail worth a few props.
CONTENT
Thomas Mulcair‘s campaign has prominently placed an energetic video shot at Brixton’s in Ottawa following the December debate. The video breaks the pattern of stuffy political staples like talking heads.
PARTICIPATION
Although she hasn’t fully configured her Facebook Fan Page, Niki Ashton is treating it as an actual gathering place. Not only does she allow others to post content, she monitors and responds to questions and comments, and prominently features posts by others near the top of the page.
ENGAGEMENT
Nathan Cullen‘s pledge page offers the ability for visitors to indicate if they will, may, or will not support his campaign, complete with voluntary feedback. As of this writing, 1,156 people have left comments including one I noticed which indicates someone withdrew their support six days ago. Social media efforts are far more credible if they show all points of view. I also like Nathan’s events page which features a pinned map of Canada, his very specific volunteer registration form, and that he responds to comments/questions on his Facebook Fan Page.
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