Internet and the 2008 Election
During the 2008 election about 74% of internet users went online to take part in or get news and information about the 2008 campaign. This represents about 55% of the adult population and markes the first time that the Pew Internet and American Life Project has found more than half of the voting population used the internet to connect to the political process of an election. In 2004, the Pew Research Center found that only 37% of the adult population used the internet during the presidential election cycle.
Six in ten internet users went online for news or information about politics in 2008 which shows the growth of the importance of the internet compared to other news sources. The overall political news audience has more than doubled since the 2000 elections. Because of this, the internet has taken on a much larger and more central role within the media environment and political campaigning. 26% of adults get most of their election news from the internet, 28% from newspapers, and the majority from the T.V. Moreover, for those under the age of 50, the internet is even more important. According to the Pew Research Center, politically active internet users are moving away from news sites with no point of view to sites that match their own political views. One third of online political users say that they get their information from sites that share their point of view. In 2004, 22% of online political users aged 18-24 said most of the sites they visit shared their vies compared to 43% in 2008.
Nowadays, politically interested internet users have access to an enormous amount of political content online, along with new tools for filtering highly targeted political commentary. Users are actively seeking out information that confirms their beliefs and political views.
Barack Obama's campaign took advantage in the increased internet users by using platforms like Youtube, Facebook, and Twitter for free advertising. Mr. Obama used the Internet to organize his supporters in a way that in the past would have required many volunteers and paid organizers as well as a lot more money. Obama intensely engaged in online political activism leading to Obama supporters using social media and technology more. 49% of Obama voters shared text messages related to the campaign compared to 29% of McCain voters.
Young Americans are the most engaged in the online political process but involvement in online politics in something that all generations take part in. Technology allowed Americans to navigate the voting process and share their experiences with a community.
Great post and the graphs really helped me in understanding trends. It seems like internet is almost like the new television, in that it's revolutionizing the political sphere through a new dissemination of media. I think, that beyond just increasing communication and making politics more accessible to virtually (mind the pun) everyone, the vital part of the internet is its fundraising potential. That is, in the 2008 election, Obama raised $500 million through online channels and $690 million in 2012. The fact that candidate's websites give them this fundraising potential allows them to further disseminate their ads and media which creates a cycle in which the internet is the main source of political discourse.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting post! One of the questions it generates for me is whether the increase in internet usage means a decrease in, for example, the volume and popularity of town halls, and whether the internet would mean new possibilities in long-distance questioning of candidates or the decline of such questioning in favor of access to constituents relatively unfettered by restrictions like those questioning sessions and the opinions of the media. Donald Trump's Twitter account seems a notable example, but exactly how effective he was in bypassing media isn't entirely clear.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post! I agree with Javin that the graphs really help the reader understand the new trends you talk about. Also, the graphs themselves are easy to interpret. In the "Major Sources of Election News" graph, it the internet as a source is clearly rising in popularity, but TV is by far the most popular. The latest year data was collected for the graph was 2008. Do you think the internet has passed TV as a source of election news as of the latest election?
ReplyDeleteSuper interesting post! Your graphs were great and really easy to interpret/clarified a lot of the points in your article. During the most recent election between Trump and Clinton, many different forms of media seemed to heavily influence the outcome. At this point in time, what do you think is the most prevalent form of media?
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