Местната предизборна кампания във фейсбук (Община Бургас, местни избори 2011)

Abstract

The present paper analyzes the opportunity to conduct an election campaign in the social network Facebook. The basis of the research is the 2011 election for local government at Burgas District. Facebook is the most visited social network in Bulgaria with 2 183 220 active users up to the moment of survey. The representation of the candidates for the mayor’s post, local government representatives, political parties and coalitions is analyzed – total 15 pages. The analysis looks into the instruments which the candidates used; the messages they sent. On the basis of the research the following conclusions are drawn – the possibilities of the social network are poorly used, often unsuccessfully, inappropriately and asymmetrically. The core advantage of the Web – communication and sharing, is absent in the political communication. The paper points to the pluses and the minuses of the political campaign in Facebook and answers to the question “Is the social network enough for a good result in the elections?”