By Sultan Al-Ajmi
(News report) KUWAIT, May 18 (KUNA) -- Traditionally, candidates for Kuwaiti National Assembly elections would erect their campaign headquarters nationwide to provide the masses with a glimpse of their agenda if elected.
But in recent years, and more in the 2023 elections, candidates had foregone the process of establishing a headquarters for their campaigns, opting for advertisement on social media platforms, in what was deemed as "new media".
In this regard, professor of media studies at Kuwait University (KU) Dr. Fawaz Al-Ajmi said that social media platforms were continuously evolving, which made it very attractive for candidates.
Despite the increase in the number of such candidates, Dr. Al-Ajmi indicated that it was very hard to win the election race via online advertisements.
Voters need to trust the candidates for them to give their votes, affirmed Al-Ajmi who noted that candidates need to have a clear media message to come across for votes to decide.
A headquarter-less candidate would have a problem in providing a professional point of view when came to relaying his or her message to the masses and those who rely on spreading the word via social media celebrities would lessen their chances of appearing professional and dedicated to the cause, he added.
Similarly, professor of media at Kuwait University (KU) Dr. Mohammad Al-Otaibi pointed out that the rapid development of technologies had an obvious effect on elections, candidates and voters.
There are some constituencies that adore a face-to-face interaction with candidates, while others force, on rare occasions, candidates to opt for the digital campaign route, indicated the academic.
A combination of both styles is key for a widespread election campaign, he affirmed, adding that the current 2023 election might be using podcasts as a new mode of reaching votes and gaining their confidence.
Also providing her input, Dr. Haila Al-Mkaimi, professor of political science at Kuwait University (KU), said that social media platforms were used previously during the 2020 elections during the pandemic.
The upside of online campaigns was that it costs less compared to a real-life campaign; however, direct connection with the voters would always enable candidates to crystalize their agendas, she noted.
Al-Mkaimi's colleague and professor of political science Dr. Faisal Abu-Sulaib revealed that finances sometimes play a huge role in choosing the digital campaign option.
The influence of social media cannot be denied, he pointed out, saying that it gave a voice to a huge sector of society.
Candidates could offer to debate others online and convey messages directly to the voters, he said, calling on all candidates to use all available tools responsibly to earn the trust of voters.
All of the interviews touched on the presence of polls on social media platforms, saying that they could not be 100 percent accurate and should be done by respectable polling entities. (end) tm.gta