GHENT 15/07 (BELGA) = Groen! politicians are the most frequent users of social media. LDD politicians are the least familiar with web 2.0 applications. This is the conclusion of the Master’s thesis of Sam De Vos executed at LBi for his Master in Communications Studies at Ghent University, Belgium.

Sam De Vos studied 278 politicians in Flanders on their presence on and use of six web 2.0 applications: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs and personal websites. “Most politicians, with exception of Vlaams Belang, have an active presence on Facebook and have their own website”, according to De Vos. “The majority of politicians is not active on social business network LinkedIn and does not have a personal blog. On YouTube, however, more politicians have a social presence, but there is a lack of frequent usage. Only a handful of politicians have a Twitter account.”

sp.a, CD&V and Groen! score best on party level and make use of all studied social applications. Groen! politicians are frequent users of Facebook and are most active on YouTube and personal websites. CD&V politicians make less frequent use of these applications. Socialist party s.pa scores below average on Twitter, LinkedIn and blogs, but are active on Facebook, YouTube and websites. sp.a is followed by Vlaams Belang, N-VA and Open Vld. LDD closes ranks with a presence on only three of the studied social media applications.

Politicians use web 2.0 applications to “be closer to the people, publicize their activities, for electoral reasons, and a minority to see what lives among citizens”. Some also use social media “to not fall by the wayside”.
Politicians not using social media mainly did this for reasons of lack of time, knowledge and insight, but also indifference.