Online Allies and Tricky Freelancers: Understanding the Differences in the Role of Social Media in the Campaigns for the Scottish Independence Referendum

Stephen Richard — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 11:36:08 +0000

Primary Author or Creator

Ana Ines Langer

Stephen Richard Fri, 09/24/2021 - 12:36

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Michael Comerford, Des McNulty, University of Glasgow

Date Published

Fri, 11/01/2019 - 12:00

Category

Media

Type of Resource

Research article

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

Political Studies, Volume: 67 issue: 4, page(s): 834-854

Fast Facts

some campaigns – like Better Together – selectively adopt digital tools that fit with the command and control model; in other cases – like Yes Scotland – the application of digital communications technologies and the dynamics created by linking to other (digital-enabled) grassroots organizations can have transformative effects.

More details

Using the 2014 Scottish independence referendum as a case study, this article asks first, to what extent is the use of digital communications technologies, in particular social media, associated with fundamental changes to campaign organizations, specifically to the command and control model? Second, under what conditions are challenges to the model more likely to emerge? Using mixed methods, our analysis of the case demonstrates that radical organizational or strategic change is not inevitable, nor is there a one-size-fits-all approach. Technologies are not ‘just tools’ that any campaign with enough resources will adopt in similar ways. Instead, depending on a number of interdependent factors (i.e. context, resources, strategy, organizational structure and culture), some campaigns – like Better Together – selectively adopt digital tools that fit with the command and control model; in other cases – like Yes Scotland – the application of digital communications technologies and the dynamics created by linking to other (digital-enabled) grassroots organizations can have transformative effects.

Paywall access

Resource Address (URL)

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0032321718811252

Keywords

Social media

Believe in Scotland

Yes Scotland

Independence campaign

Language English