A few days before the first round of municipal elections, we take to the digital space to better understand how political opinions are shaped in this arena. What do we mean by “new media”? How do political parties campaign in these online spaces? Between engagement and activism, what are the connections between political bodies and these digital media?
In this galaxy composed of online media, neo-editorialists, and content creators, media actors welcome political figures with the promise of offering more time, in a different tone and format. This is the ambition of producer and host Sam Zirah, a prominent journalist in reality television, who recently started offering political content on his channel.
“Ittal upcoming round of municipal elections, we use the digital space to better understand how political opinions are shaped in this arena. What do we mean by “new media”? How do political parties campaign in these online spaces? Between engagement and activism, what are the connections between political bodies and these digital media?
In this galaxy composed of online media, neo-editorialists, and content creators, media actors welcome political figures with the promise of offering more time, in a different tone and format. This is the ambition of producer and host Sam Zirah, a prominent journalist in reality television, who recently started offering political content on his channel.
“It is by interviewing French political figures through the prism of intimacy that Sam Zirah chooses to conduct interviews and provide additional content compared to traditional media. “I have received a lot of comments from my community, from people who say it’s the first time they’ve watched an interview with a political figure, that they had never stopped to watch this type of content before and that they watched it all, from start to finish, the 55 minutes. I find it just amazing (…),” concludes the producer. “And it reassures me because I have always considered that intimacy is politics. We do not vote solely for an idea or a promise that will not be kept, but also for the sum that represents this man or woman in front of us. For my part, I need, and I know that this is the case for many people of my generation, to know what has happened in the life of this man or this woman who is what he or she is today, and why he or she has these ideas.”
“Above and beyond being new platforms, politicians are thus faced with new media actors, ranging from neo-editorialists to content creators. Contrary to the neutrality claimed by traditional media, these new information intermediaries assume a different, more engaged but no less factual, relationship with politics. “It is a more open discussion framework,” states Usul. “In Backseat [political talk show by Jean Massiet streamed on Twitch], I allow myself to speak informally to politicians I know. It seems very odd to suddenly refer to Philippe Poutou formally, when usually, I address him informally. So there is something more direct: we’re not going to pretend, we’re not going to imitate the big media outlets. We all have political sensibilities, all the hosts have theirs, but it’s true that it’s much more open with us (…).”
POLITICAL EMBEDDING NOTE: Center-right host Sam Zirah’s content is meant to complement traditional media by providing a different, more intimate approach to political figures.
“A political sensitivity that can be expressed more freely within media platforms on digital platforms, for which the pluralism rules set by the Arcom do not apply. “At Backseat, we are not bound by the rules of the Arcom [French public authority for the regulation of audiovisual and digital communication],” explains Usul. “Public service media are required to host candidates from the far right, this pluralism is mandatory. Well, we are not required to do that. Arcom does not come and impose its rules on Twitch, and actually that would be absurd, it wouldn’t work.” The columnist explains: “How would we enforce internal pluralism on Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s Twitch channel? That cannot work. So it’s like the print press, we do what we want a bit. And we are not required to host the far right. Why? Because the far right is the adversary of the society we aspire to, namely a democratic society, with equal rights.”
CAMPAIGN EFFICIENCY NOTE: Political parties’ beliefs in the impact of new media for electoral influence are questioned. Research shows that traditional grassroots efforts by parties are more effective than mere presence on social media or sending emails.
“The sociologist of electoral behaviors explains: “From the perspective of political parties, there is often this belief in the influence of new media because there is the issue of communication companies that are precisely selling digital strategies that are intended to make people believe in this influence. However, what scientific studies show is that the grassroots work done by political parties will be much more effective than mere media presence on social networks or email campaigns.”
JOURNALISTIC NARRATIVE NOTE: Journalist Mélanie Chenouard delves into Substack, the platform that enables distributing one’s own newsletter, and its role in the American political debate. A series of reports gathered and translated by Courrier International.
