Spamming Bernie to minority social media may not work, says University of California researcher [View all]

[Chitown Kev]

I ran across this doing research on something else and just HAD to share this little story in light of the bright ideas of some Bernie-folk

TheDailyCalifornian: Underrepresented-minority voters brought to polls by face time, not Facebook, study says by Maxwell Jenkins-Goetz

Researchers studying how to best bring underrepresented-minority voters to the polls have found that new technologies such as texting and social media are not as effective as more personal forms of outreach.

A study published earlier this month, led by professor Lisa Garcia Bedolla of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education, examined the attempts of nonpartisan organizations across the state to mobilize underrepresented-minority voters in the 2014 elections through traditional methods — such as door-to-door canvassing and phone calls — as well as new technologies, such as text messages and Facebook ads.

According to the study, social media was ineffective at bringing underrepresented minorities and youth to the polls, while texting — which has seen some success mobilizing those who already vote with greater frequency — was inconsistent. Instead, personal contact on the phone or at the door remained the most effective way to turn out California underrepresented-minority voters.

What is suggested instead?

But for Bedolla, the most important lesson of this study is one that will not likely be forgotten as technology continues to evolve. As she noted in her work’s conclusion, “this study underscores the importance of culturally competent and contextually appropriate outreach” in attempting to mobilize voters.