Meme as Multimodal Framing Devices during Election Campaigns

Abstract

The emergence of social media has transformed political communication globally by creating interactive platforms through which political information is produced, shared and consumed. During election campaigns, meme have become significant communication tools used by political actors, supporters and citizens to shape public opinion and influence electoral discourse. Political meme combine textual and visual elements to create messages that are easily understood and widely circulated across digital platforms. This study examines meme as multimodal framing devices during election campaigns. The study explores how political meme influence voters’ perceptions, political participation and electoral communication. Framing Theory serves as the theoretical framework for the study. The research adopted a qualitative methodology based on the review of scholarly literature and empirical studies. Findings revealed that political meme function as effective multimodal communication tools that simplify political issues, encourage voter engagement and shape political narratives. The study further found that meme contribute to political participation and voter mobilisation but may also promote misinformation and political polarisation. The study concludes that meme have become influential instruments of political communication in contemporary elections and recommends responsible utilisation of political memes to enhance democratic participation and credible electoral communication.