Pal: India’s election is being swayed by influencers

A decade ago, social media users had little power in influencing elections.

Today, the tide has shifted with politicians in India paying influencers to promote their campaigns. 

University of Michigan School of Information associate professor Joyojeet Pal told the BBC this trend is alarming, especially when the interviews influencers are conducting become “platforms for easy publicity.” 

Pal is an expert on the role of social media in politics, particularly in India. 

“Many of these interviews are carefully managed by politicians,” Pal says. "If your questions aren't holding power to account, then the interview just becomes a platform for easy publicity." 

In a recent research paper, Pal examined the noticeable drop in the number of accounts openly critiquing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. 

“This hints at a growing hesitancy among people to be openly critical of the government whereas there seems to be more confidence in putting up polarising content or content that supports the government's ideologies," Pal says. "And this is dangerous for democracy.” 

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Read “Lok Sabha 2024: The influencers driving India’s big election” at the BBC. 

Learn more about UMSI associate professor Joyojeet Pal by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.