Does Political Information Dissemination Matter on Twitter?

Abstract

This study examines the spread of politically related information on Twitter, following the immediate wake of the 2014 Thai coup. The role and use of Twitter cannot be underestimated as it plays a significant and growing impact in conflicts and crises. In specific, this study assessed the use of Twitter in a country like Thailand, where political coups often occur. Furthermore, the incorporation of two perspectives—rumor theory and elaboration likelihood model (ELM)—add value in the assessment of political information dissemination during political turmoil. The study applied both content analysis and survey with rigorous analyses that had tremendous contributions in the course of 2014 Thai coup by understanding the way people behave and use Twitter to spread rumors. Overall, this study sheds vital insights into the ways in which political dissemination is crucial and for people to understand and interpret political coup events.