Have I Got Views For You

by Robert Nisbet

In 2019, the General Election was described as the first real test of the impact of social media as a way to influence voters, stir up discussion on the main topics and personalities, and spread key moments and mishaps to the digitally literate electorate.

So as new digital platforms are downloaded and media habits continue to be upended by technology, how will this year’s Election be characterised?

That was one of the topics discussed at ‘Have I Got Views For You’, a 5654 & Company breakfast with the Political Editor of the Daily Mirror, John Stevens and former City AM Editor-In-Chief - and now 5654 Senior Adviser - Christian May.

Among the insights: the BBC is ramping up its BBC Verify product to test the veracity of politicians’ claims as well as root out altered or deliberately manipulated material from ‘bad actors’ – whether at home or abroad.  It was also revealed that all the broadcasters will be testing streaming of significant live political events on their platforms this election, whether iPlayer or ITV X.

John Stevens said one of the key factors will be the outsized role of WhatsApp. Its impact in Westminster is under scrutiny most recently in the honeytrap scandal, but also in the Covid Inquiry with senior ministers’ and officials’ reliance on the app effectively leaving no paper trail on major decisions.  He argued that with so many of us now hooked on the platform, it is easy for malicious falsehoods to spread easily without any ability to stem the flow.

Christian discussed AI’s role in the election: both its positive application in keeping the electorate informed, but also its potential to create convincing deep fakes which, even when exposed, still seem to reinforce the public’s perception that no politicians can be trusted.

But despite that, the panel believed the election’s tentpole moments will still matter, such as leadership debates, and campaign launches. It’s how and where we consume the information that will change.

At 5654, we believe that all our clients must think about how the changing media landscape impacts their work, especially in the lead up to the General Election.

It was a pleasure to speak with Christian and John about how we will see technology and editorial priorities shape our politics this year, and why businesses should be preparing to hone and target their messaging to gain purchase in a crowded and combative media environment.