A New Public Sphere? the Unfulfilled Promise of Social Media for Political Communication in Ghana

Social media is widely viewed as the new channel for political communication and debate. During the Arab Spring, Facebook developed as the main channel for mobilization. Politicians use social media to address voters directly without the mediation of newspapers and TV. E-government promises direct and interactive communication channels between the administration and the people. There is little research on how this promise works in the everyday life of local administration in Africa. With Ghana among the leading African countries regarding access to the internet, we ask two questions: do local governments in Ghana use this communication channel, and how do local people react? What topics are discussed and do these topics represent the political priorities discussed in everyday life? Our research includes data from before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic and includes fieldwork results and interviews in three Ghanaian districts. The comparison between topics communicated on district platforms and those discussed in real life shows some overlaps. However, the posts are often a kind of self-representation of politicians rather than an offer for e-government in the public sphere. Even more striking is the low frequency of the posts, especially in rural areas. Put bluntly, loudspeaker announcements are as important as social media communication.