The survey just carried out among 1,600 adults in Britain showed that 23 per cent of people said printed publications helped them choose who to vote for, compared to 18 per cent who believed social media swayed them.
The results were revealed at a London Press Club/Society of Editors debate at the Reuters building in Canary Wharf.
Andrew Rawnsley, political columnist for the Observer, chaired the debate on “It was the readers wot won it” with panellists Daily Mail columnist Amanda Platell, Independent columnist John Rentoul, Reuters Europe/Middle East editor Simon Robinson, PoliticsHome.com editor Kevin Schofield.
Platell told the 160 audience that she believed it was more a case of “It was Theresa May that lost it”. She said that the Tory party had been “completely blindsided” by a brilliantly produced Labour campaign using social media to target young people.
Schofield, editor of PoliticsHome.com found the following statistics from YouGov the most fascinating:
• 51% of 18 to 24-year-olds thought social media more influential, compared to just 28% who opted for newspapers.
• 58% agreed that the “advent of the digital age has diminished the influence of newspapers", but 48% said they still thought that newspapers have a “significant impact on the outcome" of elections.
• 45% of the public still get their political news from a newspaper or a magazine, although 42% of 18 to 24-year-olds used online sources.
• 43% of voters think that a newspaper’s endorsement of a political party is “damaging for democracy”.
Rawnsley said that during the election social media meant that different issues became important. At one stage, a belief that the Conservative party was going soft on an ivory ban went viral and fox hunting also became a huge social media issue. Neither received the same level of coverage in the traditional press.
Rentoul said the debate and poll showed the distinction that existed in people's minds between the "mainstream media" and "social media" was breaking down.
“Most of the traditional media are on social media and although journalism is changing, with many new entrants, the division between new and old is not as absolute as people often think,” he said.
YouGov associate director Darren Yaxley presented the findings and said that their poll showed that while social media channels are particularly influential amongst younger voters the research also found that this group had not turned their backs on traditional media sources. He said: “Even in the digital age traditional news sources such as newspapers and television remain more popular, important and influential than social media.” He added that while social media channels are particularly influential among younger voters the research also found that this group had not turned their backs on traditional media sources. “The research also found that although traditional news sources are thought to have had an impact on the recent General Election there is a sense that their power is diminished and overstated.”
The debate was supported by Reuters, Google and YouGov.
YouGov conducted specially commissioned polling in support of the London Press Club and Society of Editor’s debate. The research, which was conducted amongst a nationally representative sample of 1,601 adults in Great Britain and 721 members of YouGov’s Opinion Formers panel between 18-25 July, looked at the influence and impact of the media and social media on the recent general election.
