Routledge Citizen Participation and Political Communication in a Digital World: 32 (Routledge Studies in New Media and Cyberculture)

The arrival of the participatory web 2.0 has been hailed by many as a media revolution, bringing with it new tools and possibilities for direct political action. Through specialised online platforms, mainstream social media or blogs, citizens in many countries are increasingly seeking to have their voices heard online, whether it is to lobby, to support or to complain about their elected representatives. Politicians, too, are adopting "new media" in specific ways, though they are often criticised for failing to seize the full potential of online tools to enter into dialogue with their electorates. Bringing together perspectives from around the world, this volume examines emerging forms of citizen participation in the face of the evolving logics of political communication, and provides a unique and original focus on the gap which exists between political uses of digital media by the politicians and by the people they represent. About the Author Alex Frame is associate professor in Communication Science at the University of Burgundy (Dijon, France) and TIL research group (EA4182). Recent publications include Communication et Interculturalité (2013) and Communication and PR from a Cross-Cultural Standpoint (edited with Valérie Carayol, 2012). Gilles Brachotte is associate professor in Communication Science at the University of Burgundy, member of the CIMEOS/3S research team (EA 4177), and teaches in the web design department of Dijon-Auxerre Technological Institute (IUT Dijon-Auxerre). His research focuses on social change linked to ICT in society, among young people and in the political sphere.