Books by Darren Lilleker
The Internet first played a minor role in the 1992 U.S. Presidential election, and has gradually ... more The Internet first played a minor role in the 1992 U.S. Presidential election, and has gradually increased in importance so that it is central to election campaign strategy. However, election campaigners have, until very recently, focused on Web 1.0: websites and email.
Political Campaigning, Elections and the Internet contextualises the US Presidential campaign of 2008 within three other contests: France 2007; Germany 2009; and the UK 2010. In offering a comparative history of the use of the Internet as an election tool, the authors are able to test the optimistic view that the Internet is transforming elections while also mapping the role the Internet plays and performs for parties and candidates. Lilleker and Jackson offer in-depth analysis demonstrating how interactive Web 2.0 online tools, including weblogs, social networking sites and file-sharing sites, are utilised and evaluate the role of these tools in the marketing and branding of parties and candidates.
Examining the interactivity between candidate, party, and voter, this important book will be of strong interest to students and scholars of political science, elections, international relations and political communication. It will be of value to those within public relations, marketing and related communication and media programmes.
This is a systematic and accessible introduction to the critical concepts, structures and profess... more This is a systematic and accessible introduction to the critical concepts, structures and professional practices of political communication. Lilleker presents over 50 core concepts in political communication which cement together various strands of theory. From aestheticisation to virtual politics, he explains, illustrates and provides selected further reading. He considers both practical and theoretical issues central to political communication and offers a critical assessment of recent developments in political communication.
What is political marketing and how does it work? This question sits at the heart of this book. U... more What is political marketing and how does it work? This question sits at the heart of this book. Using the British General Election of 2005 as a case study, this collection focuses on three important elements: the products offered by the parties; the campaign communication; and the perceptions, reactions and attitudes of the voters
Political marketing has become a global phenomenon as parties try to copy the market-oriented app... more Political marketing has become a global phenomenon as parties try to copy the market-oriented approach employed by Tony Blair to win power for New Labour in 1997. Increasingly voters choose parties like consumers choose products, and this study looks at how some political parties, such as Sinn Fein, have been able to capitalise on this to gain support.
It raises fresh perspectives on the more established political marketing practices in the UK and US, such as how to incorporate political leadership within the market-oriented framework and the democratic implications when faced with the actually business of governing.
This book also highlights how the market-oriented party approach has spread around the world, including Europe and the new democracies of Brazil and Peru. The chapters, in demonstrating this convergence in practices, also question whether this strategy is appropriate for political systems based on proportional representation and coalition governments such as those in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and devolved systems in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The collection also introduces the debate on whether such practices enhance or undermine democracy.
Few historians, including Left-wing scholars and writers, have a good word to say about British M... more Few historians, including Left-wing scholars and writers, have a good word to say about British Members of Parliament sympathetic to the Soviets--"the neo-Stalinist Left", "crypto-Communists", "left-wing gadflys". Much has been published on "Soviet spies" and their connections with Labour MPs but Against the Cold War debunks this popular literature and shows in detail the relationships between the MPs and their "handlers". Lilleker shows the largely well-meaning attempts on the part of British MPs to develop a coexistence with the Soviet bloc--both culturally and politically--and to change negative perceptions of the Soviets. Through detailed analysis and extensive research he emphasizes that far from being a danger to the state, as has been generally accepted, these Labour MPs were largely innocent and ineffectual.
Papers by Darren Lilleker
Featuring 92 contributions from over 100 leading UK and international academics, this publication... more Featuring 92 contributions from over 100 leading UK and international academics, this publication captures the immediate thoughts, reflections and early research insights on the 2017 UK General Election from the cutting edge of media and politics research. Published 10 days after the election, these contributions are short and accessible. Authors provide authoritative analysis of the campaign, including research findings or new theoretical insights; to bring readers original ways of understanding the campaign. Contributions also bring a rich range of disciplinary in uences, from political science to cultural studies, journalism studies to psychology. We hope this makes for a vibrant, informative and engaging read
Journal of Public Affairs
Communication & Society
The goal of this research is to examine what form of e-expression we can find from citizens comme... more The goal of this research is to examine what form of e-expression we can find from citizens commenting on the Facebook posts of political party leaders in the context of an election. We employ quantitative content analysis, involving the coding of styles of e-expression and counting their occurrences, to determine how politician’s use Facebook, the level of citizen comments, their tone, content, and style of communication, whether comments are monologic or dialogic and the structure of dialogic interactions between citizens. The data is drawn from comments made to a sample of posts by Mariano Rajoy, incumbent Prime Minister and leader of the Popular Party, and Pablo Iglesias, leader of the new insurgent Podemos party during the 2016 Spanish general election campaign. We conceptualise citizen comments as e-expression a means for having a voice, being heard and, potentially at least, joining debates with others. The results of this research show that dynamics on Facebook pages offer a...
Information, Communication & Society
Journal of Political Marketing
Visual Political Communication
Journalism
This article explores the interactions between photojournalists, police and protesters during pro... more This article explores the interactions between photojournalists, police and protesters during protests and demonstrations, with a focus on how they influence photographic practices. Journalistic scholarship on issues of objectivity along with the theoretical framework of ideologically structured action are employed in order to examine how the ideological, personal and professional values of photojournalists shape their coverage of protests. These issues are addressed through an empirical study of photojournalists who were tasked with capturing footage of the anti-austerity demonstrations seen in Greece since 2010. The article presents the results of a critical thematic analysis of 20 semi-structured interviews conducted with Greek photojournalists between 2015 and 2016. It explores the factors that shaped the image production processes of these photojournalists, with a particular focus on how their often antagonistic interactions with police and protesters led them to reflect upon t...
Political Communication, 2016
A wealth of studies have explored online political communication since the early 1990s, parallel ... more A wealth of studies have explored online political communication since the early 1990s, parallel significant interest has been given to how digital technologies offer pathways to participation. We have learned from a range of studies, most of which are referenced across the essays, that digital technologies, and particular the spaces that permit social interaction, may facilitate forms of political engagement. Indications are engagement can further lead to citizen mobilisation and participation in some forms of civic life from the very local level to the supranational. While political participation on social media has been dismissed as clicktivism, and judged to be lacking in meaning or significance, others propose that political participation should not be understood as a one-dimensional but as multidimensional encompassing a range of activities. These activities include those that take place in the domain referred to as the 'electronic republic' or 'digital agora' where opinions can be expressed, understandings gained, alliances built and influence exerted vertically and, potentially, horizontally so realising the democratic ideals of collective participatory and semi-deliberative decision-making. The argument does not privilege the digital environment over the street or voting booth, rather it highlights new routes to engagement and new forms of political participation are becoming evident. Indeed, there is much evidence that the conditions for and circumstances of political participation are adapting. Research shows a politics of disconnection with and realignment away from electoral politics towards a more issue-based civic engagement. While online tools can enhance learning, build communities or groups of online advocates, and facilitate a range of forms of engagement and participation it is seldom the case, the notable exception
The British Labour party, during its eighteen-year period in opposition, altered the way it condu... more The British Labour party, during its eighteen-year period in opposition, altered the way it conducted and communicated politics. Whether these changes are viewed as central or peripheral when studying the nature of the party academically, it appears to have had little effect upon its electoral chances. However the low turnout in safe, 'heartland' constituencies appears indicative of the fact that many loyal Labour supporters feel disconnected from the party. The research, derived from focus group discussion with loyal voters, found widescale evidence that loyal supporters were having their loyalties eroded by a party they see as arrogant and uncaring of their concerns. These findings suggest that party strategies have a profound effect on participation and so UK parties, and the Labour government in particular, need to rethink their communication strategies and attempt to reconnect with their core voters.
International Journal of E-Politics, 2014
Comparative studies are rare in the study of online communication campaigning. The authors chose ... more Comparative studies are rare in the study of online communication campaigning. The authors chose two cases, Poland and France, to describe the two campaigns for the Parliamentary elections. Content analysis allowed the authors to detect online communication strategies and parties' attempt to reach different audiences. Web-cartography illustrates the parties' network connections. The authors find strong cross-country and resource-based differences for the more interactive and engaging features (Web 2.0), which are not that powerful for explaining audience-targeting strategies. Overall a sales strategy and a focus on marketing dominated over e-representation (exhibiting the parties' political record). In both countries social media platforms are well incorporated into online strategies. Facebook dominates in Poland, Twitter in France. Web cartography gives a counterintuitive picture of the Polish parties' network being much more personalized but also of more ghettoing ...
Policy & Internet, 2014
The micro-blogging platform Twitter has gained notoriety for its status as both a communication c... more The micro-blogging platform Twitter has gained notoriety for its status as both a communication channel between private individuals and as a public forum monitored by journalists, the public, and the state. Its potential application for political communication has not gone unnoticed; politicians have used Twitter to attract voters, interact with constituencies and advance issue-based campaigns. This article reports findings from the research team's work with 21 peers sitting on the Labour frontbench. The researchers monitored and archived the peers' activity on Twitter for a period of 3 months between June and September 2012. Using a sample of 4,363 tweets and a mixed methodology combining semantic analysis, social network analysis, and quantitative analysis, this article explores the peers' patterns of usage and communication on Twitter. Key findings are that as a tweeting community their behavior is consistent with other communities. However, there is evidence that a coherent strategy is lacking in their coordinated use of the platform. Labour peers tend to work in small, clustered networks of self-interest as opposed to collectively to promote party policy.
Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 2014
This paper analyses the use of the online environment within the context of the Polish parliament... more This paper analyses the use of the online environment within the context of the Polish parliamentary election of 2011. Using traditional methods of content analysis we find that parties tend to adhere to a professionalised model of campaigning, adapting online tools to suit the objectives of the campaign. There also appears to be a recognition that their most likely visitors would be converts and so they attempt to mobilise supporters rather than convert browsers. New parties and candidates are
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Books by Darren Lilleker
Political Campaigning, Elections and the Internet contextualises the US Presidential campaign of 2008 within three other contests: France 2007; Germany 2009; and the UK 2010. In offering a comparative history of the use of the Internet as an election tool, the authors are able to test the optimistic view that the Internet is transforming elections while also mapping the role the Internet plays and performs for parties and candidates. Lilleker and Jackson offer in-depth analysis demonstrating how interactive Web 2.0 online tools, including weblogs, social networking sites and file-sharing sites, are utilised and evaluate the role of these tools in the marketing and branding of parties and candidates.
Examining the interactivity between candidate, party, and voter, this important book will be of strong interest to students and scholars of political science, elections, international relations and political communication. It will be of value to those within public relations, marketing and related communication and media programmes.
It raises fresh perspectives on the more established political marketing practices in the UK and US, such as how to incorporate political leadership within the market-oriented framework and the democratic implications when faced with the actually business of governing.
This book also highlights how the market-oriented party approach has spread around the world, including Europe and the new democracies of Brazil and Peru. The chapters, in demonstrating this convergence in practices, also question whether this strategy is appropriate for political systems based on proportional representation and coalition governments such as those in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and devolved systems in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The collection also introduces the debate on whether such practices enhance or undermine democracy.
Papers by Darren Lilleker
Political Campaigning, Elections and the Internet contextualises the US Presidential campaign of 2008 within three other contests: France 2007; Germany 2009; and the UK 2010. In offering a comparative history of the use of the Internet as an election tool, the authors are able to test the optimistic view that the Internet is transforming elections while also mapping the role the Internet plays and performs for parties and candidates. Lilleker and Jackson offer in-depth analysis demonstrating how interactive Web 2.0 online tools, including weblogs, social networking sites and file-sharing sites, are utilised and evaluate the role of these tools in the marketing and branding of parties and candidates.
Examining the interactivity between candidate, party, and voter, this important book will be of strong interest to students and scholars of political science, elections, international relations and political communication. It will be of value to those within public relations, marketing and related communication and media programmes.
It raises fresh perspectives on the more established political marketing practices in the UK and US, such as how to incorporate political leadership within the market-oriented framework and the democratic implications when faced with the actually business of governing.
This book also highlights how the market-oriented party approach has spread around the world, including Europe and the new democracies of Brazil and Peru. The chapters, in demonstrating this convergence in practices, also question whether this strategy is appropriate for political systems based on proportional representation and coalition governments such as those in Austria, Germany, New Zealand, Canada, and devolved systems in Northern Ireland and Scotland. The collection also introduces the debate on whether such practices enhance or undermine democracy.
Published 10 days after the election, these contributions are short and accessible. Authors provide authoritative analysis of the campaign, including research findings or new theoretical insights; to bring readers original ways of understanding the campaign. Contributions also bring a rich range of disciplinary influences, from political science to cultural studies, journalism studies to psychology.
We hope this makes for a vibrant, informative and engaging read.
old and new traditions. Its politics blends selected
aspects of the European accession criteria with a political
culture of corruption and clientelism, thus remaining an
embarrassment to the European project of which it is part
(Gallagher, 2009). Its protest tradition also represents
a convergence of cultures. The use of social media by
protestors represents the new networked variant Castells
(2015) argues are the cornerstone of a reshaping of
democracy.