Use of Twitter (X) by Political Parties in General Election 2018: A Comparative Analysis

Abstract

This study assesses the application of Twitter (X) by large political parties in Pakistan in the 2018 General Election. The comparison of social media strategy used by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pak Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) and their influence on the elections reveals that there is a significant number of differences among the strategy chosen and the way they influenced the elections. PTI is the most prolific part on Twitter with a higher rate of tweets, interaction, and mobilization of voters in comparison with PMLN and PPP.. This thesis adopts a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative metrics of tweet volume and engagement rates with qualitative content analysis to examine political communication and framing in campaign messages. A strong positive correlation was established between Twitter activity and electoral success, suggesting that the use of Twitter by the PTI was effective with hashtags, multimedia content, and direct voter interaction. This thesis explored the mediating effect of traditional media coverage. It was verified that more obscure parties, in terms of traditional media coverage, used Twitter more to reach voters than obvious platforms such as PMLN and PPP. These results align with the Agenda-Setting Theory and global trends in digital political campaigning. However, while Twitter enhances political participation, it also increases polarization. This thesis underscores the growing importance of social media in shaping electoral processes and the need for balanced digital campaign strategies in Pakistan's evolving political landscape.