ABSTRACT
History teaches us that social and technological change are difficult. Academic researchers explore media processes, direct and indirect effects from content, and larger social, cultural, political and economic issues. Consumer behaviors are somewhat predictable, and social networks provide a space to reach large segments of the population through humorous memes, creative video, dramatic images and sticky hashtags or other social media content – as well as strategic tools that are used to manage and analyze data. Political candidates turned to Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and other sites – just as they used apps for direct persuasion and manipulation of voters and others in the audience. Perhaps more importantly, the rise of social movements and activism, such as #BlackLivesMatter, offered political actors fresh and daily opportunities to engage on the news and issues.
