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Political parties

Social Media Campaign Strategies in Ghana's 2024 Presidential Election

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Research conducted by Texas State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication reveals how the two major presidential candidates in Ghana, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), utilized social media platforms to frame key political issues during the 2024 election campaign. The study analyzed content on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram, focusing on issues related to the economy and education, and examined how platform-specific affordances shaped the presentation and visibility of these frames.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found three core dynamics in the framing strategies of both candidates: (1) contrasting economic narratives, (2) competing visions of education reform versus continuity, and (3) platform-specific engagement patterns.
  • The research concluded that these findings offer insight into how political actors leverage digital affordances beyond simple messaging tools into structured framing mechanisms and strategically construct narratives to shape public discourse and influence voter engagement.
  • The study used framing theory and digital multimodal discourse analysis as conceptual and methodological frameworks to examine content on social media platforms.
  • John Mahama of the NDC and Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP were studied as they are the two major presidential candidates in Ghana.
  • The research assessed how platform-specific affordances shape the presentation and visibility of frames on issues related to the economy and education.

Statistics:

  • Three core dynamics in the framing strategies of both candidates were identified: contrasting economic narratives, competing visions of education, and platform-specific engagement patterns.
  • The study examined content on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
  • The research focused on issues related to the economy and education.
  • The study assessed how platform-specific affordances shape the presentation and visibility of these frames.
  • The two major presidential candidates in Ghana, John Mahama and Mahamadu Bawumia, were studied.

Sources:

  • Texas State University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Journalism and Media (MDPI AG), Volume 6, Issue 2, Article 72, 2025 (https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia6020072)
  • NewsRx LLC, Education Letter, July 9, 2025, Volume 831

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