If 2016 has brought us anything, it’s the influence of Twitter in driving political discussion. Donald Trump, his followers and the media circle which hangs on every tweet to drive a news story, have evolved what began in 2008 under Barack Obama as the “social media election.” Back then, communities were formed and stories shared; now, news is made, whether it’s an opinion about an opponent or a more detailed look at a policy white paper. And of course, it’s not just Twitter, but Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook and many others. “The Boys on the Bus,” a book about political journalism that is only 43 years old, describes a world that has more in common with the Lincoln-Douglas debates than 2016.
How has this Twitter trend – particularly in regard to governing or governance – translated to other regions, for example? Here are some statistics from the Middle East (where I work) to consider:
While the statistics are changing monthly, Facebook is the most popular channel, followed by WhatsApp. According to information presented at the Middle East Public Relations Majlis event in May, there are over 120 million Facebook users in the region, with huge consumption of video. Twitter is massively popular here, and YouTube views grow significantly every month. Almost all of it is driven by mobile phone consumption.
Many of the region’s leaders, and their government entities, have been quick to leverage social media, due to its penetration with constituents. School closures, holiday announcements, and basic government information is now most widely read, and shared, on social media channels.
And the use of these channels to make news, and influence people, has changed dramatically in the last five years. When I first moved to the region in 2009, no one would have imagined the country’s leadership either commenting on neighboring wars or praising its young entrepreneurs on social media. Now it happens on a daily basis.
And the impact is immediate. Here’s an example: I was at work on a recent Sunday morning and one of my colleagues rushed into my office. “Did you hear the news?” His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, the ruler of Dubai (with 6.7 million Twitter followers) had shown up at government offices at the beginning of regular working hours, only to find empty desks among a number of managers. Social media carried the footage of him walking through empty offices. The impact was immediate; and the next day, 9 senior officials were announced ‘retired’ from the municipality.
That’s a story with a very clever hook, but the impact of someone so senior greeted by empty desks had a drama that was so understandable it took the country by storm. It reinforced the goal of accountability in government. The next-day stories broke no news; it simply reinforced what almost everyone had seen, and talked about, the day before. Now that’s the way to command influence on social media.
The rise of Daesh and its use of social media has exposed the downside of such influence. Policy makers in the region have struggled to respond in ways that combat the use of the sensational and horrific acts that have fueled the attention given to ISIS.
Traditional media is still very much alive in the region, supplementing in long-form the hourly updates on social media. Government sponsorship in many Middle Eastern countries has been a blessing for the industry at large, keeping alive both print and broadcast channels in local language that have struggled in the U.S. and parts of Europe.
Following new trends, and understanding media consumption habits, is critical to the public relations industry in this region. Without the science and the data, both practitioners and their stakeholders can’t be confident they’re truly being understood. For 60 years, the Institute for Public Relations and its related entities have led the industry in urging it to underpin the art of public relations with the right framework. Our task is the same but we’ll have to find ways to do this even faster, to remain agile and current, or suffer the consequences.
Brian Lott is the Executive Director of Group Communications at Mubadala. He is an IPR Trustee. Follow him on Twitter @BLotter.
