Social media influencers are getting political, and we aren't ready for it

5th annual John Meisel Lecture Series in Contemporary Political Controversies at Queen's University. 

From opinion leadership to influencer marketing, social media accounts are being integrated into election campaigns. Online influencers’ ability to reach targeted audiences could be a helpful advancement in campaign  strategy but, if left unchecked, could also exacerbate the spread of  disinformation, foreign interference, and lead to electoral  interference. Dubois tackles the impacts of  social media on politics via online political influencers, questioning their political roles, their power, and which voices we pay attention to.