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UK Parliament

What impact is social media having on politics?

24 November 2017

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Political Polling and Digital Media Committee takes evidence from digital media experts Professor Farida Vis and James Williams, winner of the inaugural Nine Dots Prize, on the impact of digital media on politics. In the second session former Labour leader Lord Kinnock discusses the impact of inaccurate political opinion polling on the 1992 General Election.

Witnesses

Tuesday 28 November in Committee Room 2, Palace of Westminster

At 10.45am

  • Professor Farida Vis, Professor of Digital Media, Manchester School of Art, Manchester Metropolitan University
  • James Williams, Doctoral Candidate, Oxford Internet Institute

At 11:45am

  • Lord Kinnock, former Leader of the Labour Party

Areas of discussion

In the first session the questions focus on the challenges posed by social media on the way the public engages with politics and, how political advertising works. Witnesses take questions on the impact of algorithms, bots and "fake news".

In the second session with Lord Kinnock the Committee asks him about the 1992 election and how the Labour Party used private polling during his time as leader and whether greater regulation of the polling industry is required to ensure it improves its accuracy.   

Further information

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