Banana for Scale: Quantifying Reddit's Impact on Political Campaigns by Lauren Hince and Rose Hogmire

Banana for Scale: Quantifying Reddit's Impact on Political Campaigns by Lauren Hince and Rose Hogmire

Politics and Government

Reddit, popularly known as the front-page of the internet, is an emerging platform for political campaigns. Consistently updating with fresh ideas, Reddit’s interface is dynamic with its content being exclusively user-generated. Within the website are separate communities called “subreddits,” which function similarly to online forums. IAmA (I am a) and AMA (Ask me anything) are posts on Reddit affording users the chance to ask anything of an AMA/IAmA host. Because of it’s direct contact structure, political candidates from all levels have taken to AMAs/IAmAs as a way to connect with voters; but until now scholars have not given attention to this website due to Reddit’s reputation and complex format. Our research highlights Reddit’s key role in voter representation. We examine what motivates people to engage with politicians on the website, and how their interaction affects their engagement and perception of politics. Through surveying active Reddit users we analyze the effectiveness of AMAs/IAmAs in changing the perception of a candidate, or helping them seem relatable. Our research will also introduce personal anecdotes from campaigns and Reddit users detailing their experience with this unconventional format; illuminating Reddit’s political potential.

Lauren Hince and Rose Hogmire

Senior Showcase Oral presentation

Ripon College

April 17, 2018

The author reserves all rights.

pdf

Majors: Communication, Politics and Government (Lauren Hince)

Blaine, Minnesota (Lauren Hince)

Politics and Government Senior Seminar