The Campaign on Facebook for the 2016 Roman Administrative Election from a Mixed-Methods Perspective: the M5S/PD Face-Off

Abstract

While the internet offers up great masses of both textual and numerical data that can be analyzed using the automatic features of powerful software programs, this does not on its own represent a viable work strategy. The wealth of available data should in fact mark the beginning of a varied and complex process of research and analysis that looks to combine a plurality of investigative tools and techniques, both traditional and of the latest generation. The presentation here of the key findings of an empirical investigation offers an opportunity to highlight the advantages of a mixed-methods approach. The Roman administrative election in the spring of 2016 was the object of an articulated program of research. This paper will focus on the methodological choices and results obtained regarding the electoral campaign conducted on Facebook by the mayoral candidates – Raggi of the 5 Star Movement (M5S) and Giachetti of the Democratic Party (PD) – up to the time of the vote itself. The research goals are: the reconstruction of the procedures followed by these political actors in their electoral campaigns; the definition of the role of social networks, Facebook in particular, in this context; the examination of the tone, content, and communicative style of the leaders in the campaigns; the analysis of the reactions, sentiments, comments and endorsements in the online interactions and relationships of the most frequent web users.