Video Content Sharing Network Youtube As A Political Communication Campaign Tool: An Analysis On June 23, 2019 Istanbul Local Elections

Dogu Ozturk I., Zeybek B.

TURKIYE ILETISIM ARASTIRMALARI DERGISI-TURKISH REVIEW OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES, cilt.1, sa.35, ss.92-114, 2020 (ESCI, TRDizin)

Özet

Developed by making use of internet technology and used in new media, social networks have started to draw the attention of political actors with features that distinguish them from traditional media, and have become one of the political communication tools. One of the social networks that creates a participation environment, YouTube is used by leaders and members of political parties for the purposes of reaching to the electorate and gaining their support. Accordingly, the research aims to investigate how Binali Yildirim, the candidate of People's Alliance, and Ekrem Imamoglu, the candidate of Nation's Alliance, use YouTube social media within the scope of their political campaign practices for Istanbul Metropolitan Mayorship election, which was repeated in June 23, 2019. In this context, as the research sample, total of 209 videos - which were shared during the period between May 6, when Istanbul election was cancelled by Supreme Election Board (YSK) and June 23, 2019, the date on which the election was repeated - are examined with the qualitative content analysis technique. As a result of the research, it was understood that Imamoglu used YouTube platform more actively than Yildirim in terms of both the number of videos shared and interaction status, and as far as the type of shared content is concerned. As a result of the analysis on shared content in the category of political advertising, it was understood that Imamoglu used advertisements more actively for promoting past and future activities and adopted suggestion strategy, while Yildirim preferred advertisements promoting the activities in the past and he mostly made use of image creation strategy.