The 'Splinternet' Election: Campaign was fractured, aggressive, costly and humourless

Irish parties and candidates are likely to have spent half a million euro on political ads across Facebook and Instagram in the three months of this campaign. They've spent another almost €90,000 on Google advertising, which includes YouTube, search engine and display ads. Photograph: Sasko Lazarov/© RollingNews.ie The boxes are being opened and the ballots tallied. We will soon have some cold, hard facts about what the Irish people think of the candidates in the local and European elections. Looking back at the election period as it unfolded online, the impression left is of a fragmented campaign that lacked spontaneity,…