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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Wasim Ahmed
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Palgrave Macmillan Ltd, 2019.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
Media blackouts or election silence periods feature in several European democracies. However, this article argues that they have become democratic vulnerabilities in the context of increased Internet-based electoral meddling such as during #MacronLeaks. Using both discourse and social network analyses, this study shows that the vacuum created by the inability of politicians and established media outlets to comment on the leaks empowered unregulated and unreliable sources which sought to drag the direction of the election away from the centre and towards the far right. Our findings have broad implications for understanding how social media activity is structured under the conditions of information leaks. The findings of this study may be relevant to other political events which involve the release of sensitive information via social media.
Author(s): Downing J, Ahmed W
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: French Politics
Year: 2019
Volume: 17
Pages: 257-278
Online publication date: 13/06/2019
Acceptance date: 04/06/2019
Date deposited: 27/06/2019
ISSN (print): 1476-3419
ISSN (electronic): 1476-3427
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-019-00090-w
DOI: 10.1057/s41253-019-00090-w
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