Labour election strategist Douglas Alexander says social media 'echo chamber' makes life tough for politicians
The man leading the Labour Party’s election campaign has said politicians of every ilk have faced difficulties getting their viewpoints out to voters due to social media becoming a prominent newsgathering tool for users – instead of traditional media.
The Guardian reports that Douglas Alexander, head of Labour’s election strategy, said that social media was fuelling misinformation, baseless facts and at worst conspiracy theories among voters – as groups and individuals on the site’s claims come under less scrutiny than the newspapers and online publications.
Speaking at a LabourList conference in London today (Tuesday 17 march), Alexander said that websites such as Facebook and Twitter have become "echo chambers" for “at best [users’] own opinions and at worst their prejudices”.
Alexander said: “We are used to a politics where we share facts, but diverge on opinion... how do we engage in a very rapidly changing media landscape in which facts are not common, actually people have their own facts?”
In particular, Alexander blamed Facebook for the Labour Party’s woes in Scotland, stating that information spread on the site has helped spread grief and disbelief at the referendum result.
He concluded: “The nation made a judgment not to leave the UK. Some of them blame the BBC, some people blame the Scottish Labour Party.”
Facebook, despite Alexander's complaints, worked with the electoral commision to remind users to register to vote – and will help users share the fact they voted on 7 May.
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