SOCIAL media helped Labour bypass the traditional media and come within 2,227 votes of victory in the general election.

That is one of the striking observations in a book edited by three Bournemouth University academics analysing the 2017 general election less than a fortnight after the results.

The editors gathered the thoughts of more than 100 academics on the campaign, the results and the media coverage.

The election was widely expected to be an easy way for Theresa May to increase her majority in parliament. But after a rocky campaign, the Conservatives ended up losing their majority and counting on an agreement with the Democratic Unionists to keep them in power.

UK Election Analysis 2017: Media, Voters and the Campaign captures the immediate thoughts, reflections and early research from experts representing 58 institutions.

Edited by Dr Einar Thorsen, Dr Dan Jackson and Dr Darren Lilleker, it also covers the impact Brexit had on the outcome of the election.

Dr Lilleker, associate professor of political communication at Bournemouth University (BU), contributed a chapter on the social media campaign, arguing that it played a role in Labour “bypassing the largely hostile mainstream media”.

He wrote: "Had the campaign reached and persuaded a further 2,227 to turnout in key marginal constituencies there is a likelihood Jeremy Corbyn would now be prime minister."

Dr Lilleker also collaborated on a chapter about the rise in voter turnout.

Dr Thorsen, associate professor of journalism and communication at BU, wrote a piece on cybersecurity and surveillance circumvention, arguing that “the lack of detailed policies or manifesto pledges in this area should be of considerable concern”.

Dr Jackson, associate professor of media and communications at Bournemouth University, said of the book: “This election showed that contrary to received wisdom, campaigns can matter. The question, then, is how the polls narrowed so dramatically during the course of the campaign.

“Here, we need evidence and analysis from experts in their fields. And this is exactly what this publication delivers: a deep dive into the period leading up to and after the election; everything from the rise of the youth vote, to the role of the media (legacy and social). This report shines a light on the highs and lows of an election campaign few initially predicted, not least Theresa May.”

Dr Thorsen added: “The analysis also covers the rise of Labour, the fall of Ukip, the campaigns in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales and how emotion, grassroots campaigning and a surge in young voter turnout all played their part in making this an election like no other.”

The book can be viewed and downloaded for free at electionanalysis.uk