Is 2019 A Social Media Election?

How big a role will social media play in the Lok Sabha elections?

Divya Malani @malani_divya

19 Mar 2019, 10:41 PM IST

(Source: BloombergQuint)

How big a role will social media play in the Lok Sabha elections? Its importance can be gauged by the fact that the Election Commission this time issued guidelines on how political parties can use it and met heads of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to ensure that their platforms don’t give an advantage to any party.

Jency Jacob, managing editor of fact-checking website Boom, is skeptical about the Election commission's social media guidelines and said it's too late to implement now.

Election Commission officials have said this is a big gray area and it is very difficult to monitor everything on social media. But why was the pilot project not done in the previous assembly elections?

Jency Jacob, Managing Editor, Boom

Radhika Ramaseshan, consulting editor at the Business Standard, said the BJP has aced the social media game.

Definitely, the Congress is a johnny come lately to social media, but one has no choice but to watch the BJP because it is in your face.

Radhika Ramaseshan, Consulting Editor, Business Standard

Watch the full debate here: