Abstract:

The developments in new communication technologies in recent years have made it possible to exist in political communication outside the election period. Social networks that emerged with Web 2.0 are important channels for providing and managing this communication. Social networks used by political actors such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter are also of great importance in the continuity of political communication. Political parties already carry out this communication facility through the official accounts of the party headquarters. At the local level, the task of maintaining active communication with citizens falls on the provincial presidencies of political parties. Being visible in new communication environments, creating an agenda and ensuring the continuity of political communication, especially the young population, brings it with the advantage of winning. In this study, the use of social media by the Provincial Presidency of the Justice and Development Party, the Republican People’s Party, the Nationalist Movement Party and the IYI Party of the parties that entered the last local elections in Giresun Province, outside the election period, were evaluated using the content analysis method within the framework of the theory of gatekeeping, which was transformed by the emergence of digital technologies.

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