Retweets by candidates as part of the political communication

Abstract

The current impact of social networks, especially Twitter, on the political communication strategies is transforming the way in which the electoral campaigns are organized. The purpose of this article within this context is to analyze the retweets issued by the leading presidential candidates during the electoral campaign for the 2016 Spanish general elections. By means of a mixed methodology where quantitative and qualitative methods of research are applied, it is possible to observe the relationship between politicians and the social environment, especially the mass media and citizens.