Internet Changing the Face of Political Campaigning

A press release announced today that the Internet is becoming the dominant media medium for political candidates to get their message out to the public. The Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg School for Communication has performed the most comprehensive studies analyzing the influence of online technology is America. The "Digital Future Project" was launched in the year 2000 and explores the impact of technology on Americans annually.

The director of the Center for Digital future, Jeffrey Cole, said this about the use of the Internet versus television in political campaigns, "For fundraising, outreach to voters, making announcements and articulating a campaign platform, the Internet is now the primary media of choice for candidates to deliver their messages. Television is assuming a lesser role in the development of campaigns; increasingly, TV is being reduced to finding its news coverage in subjects that originate on the Internet."

This project has shown that trends of online behavior and political behavior are changing. Internet uses now rely primarily on web-based information to learn about candidates and issues. The press release mentions that conservative estimates of Internet use for obtaining political information have tripled since the year 2000. The Internet provides users with a low-cost and easy accessible alternative to gaining information. Users are also able to search for the information they are looking for specifically without having to wait for a television news program to wade through hours of material. Recently, YouTube, a popular website that allows video sharing, co-sponsored a Democratic presidential debate.

Cole believes that the growing Internet trend could change the face of politics in many ways, particularly for those who would otherwise have limited opportunities to gain exposure in the public eye. Cole states, "I can see a time quite soon when a viable third-party presidential candidate could emerge based entirely on building an online constituency. Given the power of online political communication, the Internet could become the launching pad not only for individual candidates, but for the rise of the first successful third party in the United States since the Republican Party was created in the 1850s."

Candidates no longer need millions of dollars to launch television advertising, although many still do. Commercials can be distributed through websites like YouTube and other online forums and gain exposure to millions of viewers in a short period of time. Cole further argues in the press release that candidates will have to launch effective Internet campaigns in order to be successful.

One need not look far for evidence of this study. Each major presidential candidate has detailed websites, blogs, and other Internet-oriented material designed to rally voters and spread their message. The future of political campaigning is changing one click of the mouse at a time.

Sources:

PR Newswire Press Release, http://media.prnewswire.com/en/jsp/latest.jsp?beat=BEAT_GOVERNMENT&view=LATEST&resourceid=3525932

Center for Digital Future Website, http://www.digitalcenter.org/