From hybrid media system to hybrid-media politicians: Danish politicians and their cross-media presence in the 2015 national election campaign

ABSTRACT

An increasingly complex hybrid system of social and traditional news media surrounds Nordic election campaigns as politically experienced incumbents favor traditional news media and younger, lesser known candidates’ social media. Despite little evidence for hybrid-media politicians, politicians’ media use is changing rapidly; 15%–16% of Danish candidates used Twitter in 2011 but 68% in 2015. In this large-sample content analysis, party leaders have high traditional news media and low Twitter presence, and younger candidates vice versa, but some politicians have high presence in both. Hybrid-media politicians are younger than the average Danish Parliament member, represent various parties, and likely come from the greater Copenhagen area.

KEYWORDS:

• Campaigning
• content analysis
• Denmark
• hybrid-media system
• national elections
• politicians
• Twitter

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mark Blach-Ørsten

Mark Blach-Ørsten is a professor (mso) of journalism at Roskilde University, Department of Communication and Art. His research interests are in political communication, journalism ethics and credibility, and media use and media systems.

Mads Kæmsgaard Eberholst

Mads Kæmsgaard Eberholst is a PhD scholar and journalism lecturer at Roskilde University, Department of Communication and Art. His research is concerned with cross-border reporting, data journalism, digital trends, social media, and news production. He has previously worked as a broadcast television reporter.

Rasmus Burkal

Rasmus Burkal is a PhD scholar at Roskilde University, Department of communication and art. His research interests are in political and public communication.