Tweeting about Race: An Analysis of U.S. Senatorial Twitter Activity Regarding Issues Impacting Blacks and Latinos

This study examines U.S. Senators' social media use by content analyzing senatorial Twitter activity in the two months preceding the 2014 midterm elections. Specifically, we analyze more than 17,200 tweets by sitting senators to assess frequency of Twitter usage and to address how frequently se...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inNational political science review Vol. 19; no. 2; pp. 111 - 131
Main Authors Bailey, Mandi Bates, Nawara, Steven, Thomas, Taylor
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New Brunswick Transaction Inc 01.01.2018
Subjects
African Americans
Communication
Congressional elections
Congressional staff
Elections
Internet
Legislators
Mass media
Midterm elections
Minority & ethnic groups
Minority groups
Political parties
Politics
Population
Race
Social media
Social networks
Social research
United States > US
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:This study examines U.S. Senators' social media use by content analyzing senatorial Twitter activity in the two months preceding the 2014 midterm elections. Specifically, we analyze more than 17,200 tweets by sitting senators to assess frequency of Twitter usage and to address how frequently senators tweet about issues relating to race. We find that senators are generally willing to microblog about issues relating to racial/ethnic minorities and that senators seeking reelection are not actively avoiding these issues, although we may expect them to do so out of a fear of alienating voters. Unlike previous research, however, we do not find that Republicans use social media more frequently than Democrats, or that electoral competition affects the propensity to tweet. Finally, this study reveals that senators representing large minority populations are more likely to tweet about race than those from less diverse states, though these senators tweet more about other topics, too.
ISSN:0896-629X