Abstract
The chapter explores electoral campaigning on social media blogosphere and how it impacts political disagreements in Ghana. The chapter argues that these platforms have been an important tool for political actors, politicians, and political parties in information dissemination, electoral campaigning, and political communication. Social media has also enhanced democratic participation; however, it could used engender political disagreements and aggressive behaviours, which could trigger election-related violence if it is not monitored. The chapter answered the question: What examples of electoral social media disagreement content were rife in Ghana’s Election 2020 and what were the motivations for electoral disagreement and aggressive content on Ghana’s social media platforms? Data on electoral disagreements and aggressive content from social media blogosphere and other digital platforms were collected during the election period in Ghana. They were then classified into themes to identify ascertain disagreement contents. We found that expressions of disagreement and aggressive behaviours on social media highlighted vigilantism and alleged use of military force during the election. We recommend that the government supports agencies such as the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) to build the capacity of journalists, bloggers, and commentators on social media to implement best practices that promote cybersecurity and effective communication practices on social media.
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Boateng, J.K., Boadi, C., Boateng, J., Darkwa, E. (2024). Social Media and Electoral Disagreements in Ghana’s 2020 Election. In: Mumuni, E., Nartey, M., Pappoe, R., Henaku, N., Agbozo, G.E. (eds) Communication and Electoral Politics in Ghana. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42771-8_6
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