The internet and social media have directly affected the way federal elections are reported in Canada. Up to and including last year's federal election it was forbidden to announce election results in time zones where the polls were still open. This meant, for instance, that national TV broadcasters would offer alternative programming in those areas until the polls in that part of the country closed, at which time they would join the national election coverage already in progress. For many years the eastern half of the country was significantly more populous with the result that federal elections could be decided before polls in the west were closed. The concern was that voters in the west would either not come out to vote or would change their vote in hopes of influencing the final result. Of course, many internet users breached the reporting ban either intentionally or inadvertently. At the beginning of this year the government announced it would introduce legislation repealing the law which it concluded was unenforceable.
Interesting story. Thankfully,i live in a country with no time zones, but can see what a problem that might cause. The advent of social media has really highlighted this issue. On a far lesser level of importance, i often see people on Twitter complaining about tv shows in the USA being talked about, when they've not yet started on the other side of the country. It's a very modern problem.
The internet and social media have directly affected the way federal elections are reported in Canada. Up to and including last year's federal election it was forbidden to announce election results in time zones where the polls were still open. This meant, for instance, that national TV broadcasters would offer alternative programming in those areas until the polls in that part of the country closed, at which time they would join the national election coverage already in progress. For many years the eastern half of the country was significantly more populous with the result that federal elections could be decided before polls in the west were closed. The concern was that voters in the west would either not come out to vote or would change their vote in hopes of influencing the final result. Of course, many internet users breached the reporting ban either intentionally or inadvertently. At the beginning of this year the government announced it would introduce legislation repealing the law which it concluded was unenforceable.
ReplyDeleteInteresting story. Thankfully,i live in a country with no time zones, but can see what a problem that might cause. The advent of social media has really highlighted this issue. On a far lesser level of importance, i often see people on Twitter complaining about tv shows in the USA being talked about, when they've not yet started on the other side of the country.
ReplyDeleteIt's a very modern problem.