Affiliations: [a] School of Politics, Philosophy and International
Studies, University of Hull, Hull, UK
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Cristina Leston-Bandeira, School of
Politics, Philosophy and International Studies, University of Hull, Cottingham
Road, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK. Tel.: +44 01482 466618; Fax: +44 01482 466208; E-mail:
C.C.Leston-Bandeira@hull.ac.uk
Abstract: This article explores how parliaments are using social media,
assessing the role this plays in public engagement. Relatively latecomers to
the world of social media, parliaments have made considerable strides in the
last couple of years with many now joining a platform that is still perceived
as an unknown and vulnerable space for formal political institutions. We show
that parliaments are using social media mainly to report parliamentary
business, interacting with citizens only on the margins. We consider the extent
to which this approach constitutes public engagement and explore the
differences in strategy between parliamentary institutions. In our analysis we
consider in particular the specificity of parliamentary institutions in their
ability to use this type of tools effectively. We also reflect on the
limitations and challenges these tools raise to an institution such as a
parliament, namely in terms of engaging with the public. Our study includes an
overview of social media accounts in parliaments across the world, being mainly
based on a content analysis of a sample of Facebook and Twitter feeds from five
European parliaments, supported by information drawn from elite interviews with
senior parliamentary officials and representatives.
Keywords: Parliament, social media, public engagement
