From Speeches to Tweets: The Mapping of Trend and Evolution of Political Communication in Digital Media
Keywords:
Political Communication, Digital Media, Social Media, Traditional Media, Political PolarizationAbstract
This study explores the trends and evolution of political communication in digital media through a scientometric review, focusing on publications from the Scopus database from 2004 to 2024. Through bibliometric analysis and network visualization using RStudio, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace, the research identifies key themes, emerging topics, and the interaction between digital and traditional media in political communication. The findings confirm that social media platforms, especially Twitter/X and Facebook, have become crucial in shaping political discourse and public participation, supporting the primary hypothesis that digital media plays a central role in contemporary political communication. Contrary to the secondary hypothesis, however, traditional media such as television retain their influence, particularly in verifying information and countering misinformation. Despite the growing dominance of digital media, challenges such as disinformation, echo chambers, and political polarization persist, highlighting the need for future research to address these issues. This study concludes that political communication now operates in a hybrid ecosystem that combines digital immediacy with the credibility of traditional media, requiring theoretical and practical strategies to maintain healthy political discourse.
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