Sure, mainstream media and in particular television will still have the main influence over the populace, but social media will provide a far more significant input in the lead up to the election than ever before. In fact, 5 years ago at the last election the term social media didn't really exist as we know it today and the ground rules have all changed.
Research from Ovum last month stated that all the main political parties have started to but haven't yet fully exploited the possibilities of social media.
"The parties acknowledge that social media can be used to mobilise activists, engage new audiences, or harvest a long tail of donors aimed primarily at communication and collaboration within the established caste of politicians, journalists, and interest groups”.But could 2010 be remembered as the last time TV had the major share of election media influence?
