Political Propaganda in the Age of Instagram
The use of social media in political campaigns is not new: the 2008 election was hailed as transformative in its use when Barack Obama became the first presidential candidate to successfully use social media platforms to communicate with voters. Since then social media has been considered an essential part of the political machine. So to see China using it so effectively in celebrating 70 years of communist rule last week was not a surprise. Social media is transformative, changing narratives in a way that political speeches could never do. As one person interviewed for a NY Times article says, “When I was growing up, it was considered uncool to be overtly patriotic and take photos with the national flag,” one person in China wrote of the outpouring of love among young people for their country. “Not anymore.”While Instagram is not allowed in China and the use of social media is highly censored, people there have no problem creating a similar experience using WeChat. In fact, so many people rushed to add the national flag logo to their WeChat profile, that they crashed the webpage. From enlisting superstars like Faye Wong to sing an updated and polished national anthem, to enlisting propaganda symbols of old like Lei Feng, the government has effectively created potent symbols for the internet age and in that way, a strong and censored propaganda machine where users have the illusion that they are in control.As the U.S. Democratic candidates tour the country in their efforts to gain supporters, the use of social media is no less intense. Liz Warren's fans are known to wait for hours to get a selfie with her and although the idea of snapping selfies with a candidate is not new, Warren's team has made it a centerpiece of their digital strategy. Selfies that are snapped with the American flag as a backdrop are meant to be shared online by her fans, and then retweeted by her own staff. And similar to China's changing narrative in what is cool, Warren's approach is intentionally aimed at getting voters to show their pride in supporting her.In the the twentieth century, poster design stands out as one of the primary vehicles for spreading political propaganda. In 2012, the Library of Congress released, Presidential Campaign Posters: Two Hundred Years of Election Art. The book shows political campaign posters from Andrew Jackson through Barack Obama and includes historical commentary. In 2017 Communist Posters was released and is considered the first major survey across the history and diversity of communist poster art. Countless other examples can be found.As social media and its importance becomes even more apparent in driving political campaigns, one can't help but wonder if the legacy of 21st century political propaganda will be the selfie.Sources:https://www.nytimes.com/2019/1