Factors Influencing Political Discourse on Twitter: A Case of the Building Bridges Initiative in Kenya

Abstract

New media has created a communication landscape characterized by high interactivity among its users. Despite the integral role that social media plays in communication during the digital age, there is limited knowledge on how and why individuals use it. This study sought to establish the importance of content gratification, a key aspect of user gratification, and its role in increasing political dialogue on Twitter. This was achieved through three objectives, derived from the key content gratifications: information needs, entertainment needs and social interaction needs in driving political discourse on Twitter. The study focused on the content of tweets and the role that content plays in driving political discourse. This was executed through the use of hashtags, a key Twitter affordance that connects topical information on the platform. It applied premises of the uses and gratification theory that are key to explaining why different social users pick certain media and the type of messaging that drive engagement. Through quantitative research, involving in-depth content analysis, the study focused on conversations around Building Bridges Initiatives (BBI) on Twitter, which was then a hot political discussion in Kenya. A sample of the top 1000 original Tweets, based on reach and engagement metrics, were analyzed The study findings indicated that information needs were the leading driver of engagement around the political discussion at 40.80%; followed by social interaction needs at 37.45%; and entertainment needs as the least gratifying factor at 21.74%. Further, social media influencers delivered the highest level of reach and engagement at 60.22%, while multimedia content accounted for 67.33% of the most engaging content. Consequently, the study concluded that there existed a clear nexus between content and social media users' behavior. On the content front. Twitter users interact with political messages in search of new information, entertainment and a feeling of belonging and association with other users. On the other hand, social media influencers play a catalytic role to driving political conversations on Twitter, with their messaging receiving more interactions over other users. Therefore, to dominate political discussions on Twitter, communicators should ensure their messaging incorporates the content gratifications sought: new information, socialization and humor, and is multimedia. Additionally, they should engage leading social media influencers to amplify their messaging for more reach, engagement and feedback. The study has the potential to make theoretical contributions to the understanding the application and impact of Uses and Gratification within social media.