Twitter is rife with harsh consumer criticism of politicians Julia
Gillard and Tony Abbott due to its unmoderated nature, much more so
than talkback radio, according to a new study by Media
Monitors.
Despite talkback radio generating heated political
debates and heralding strong consumer opinions, it is no match for
social networking giant Twitter, which hosts far more aggressive and
extreme conversations thanks to its unmoderated nature.
The
research was undertaken by media intelligence company Media Monitors,
owned by Sentia Media, and studied talkback radio and Twitter
conversations from mid-July to October 2012. It was measured using a
0-100 point scale, where a rating of 50 meant the consumer was
neutral.
Sentia Media's group communications manger John
Chalmers said 17% of all Twitter comments regarding Gillard and
Abbott were ranked below 30, pointing to large percentage of users
expressing a low sentiment, compared to only 1% of talkback radio
comments dipping below that score.
Chalmers said: “As a
medium, Twitter is more vitriolic than talkback radio, a fact which
may come as a surprise. In our ongoing study of talkback and Twitter
sentiment toward Prime Minister Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony
Abbott, our analysis revealed that 17% of all Twitter comments
received a rating below 30 while only 1% of talkback comments rated
beneath that score."
The study contended that the number was
higher on Twitter because talkback radio can monitor its calls and
control conversation.
"Although both media provide a
sense of anonymity and thus an opportunity for soap boxing, Twitter
conversations tend to be even more extreme or vitriolic – contrary
to common perception - as it is not a moderated medium.
"In
contrast, on talkback the host plays a significant role in the
direction of the conversation, callers are screened and can be cut
off," the report said.
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