The Impact of New Media on Presidential Campaigns

-- By AnaCorrea - 12 Feb 2008

"Ha-Ha! Your medium is dying!"

-Nelson, mocking a print journalist on The Simpsons.

There have long been concerns that “new media,” as embodied by the Internet, will soon supplant traditional channels of communications, if it has not done so already. This tension between the old and new media is currently being played out in the presidential campaigns.

User Generated Content

Endorsed Content

Youtube/CNN Debates

Unendorsed Content

Obama Girl

Yes We Can Music Video

Social Networking Sites

Facebook

All the major candidates have Facebook profiles. Just as any other user's, their profiles contain information on their birthdate, education, interests, and favorites. Instead of "friends" they seek "supporters". Facebook Support by candidate:

• Obama: 523,033
• Clinton: 113,955
• McCain? : 60,561

Myspace

References:

• Gueorguieva, Vassia. Voters, Myspace, and Youtube: The Impact of Alternative Communication Channels on the 2006 Election Cycle and Beyond, Social Science Computer Review 2007, ssc.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/0894439307305636v1.pdf
• Mancour, Terry. User-generated candidate. Guardian Unlimited. February 7, 2008.

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/terry_mancour/2008/02/user_generated_candidate.html

• Delaney, Colin. French Election Shows the Limits of User-Generated Content. 05/21/2007 1:07pm. http://www.epolitics.com/2007/05/21/french-election-shows-the-limits-of-user-generated-content/
• Lizza, Ryan. The You Tube Election. The New York Times. August 20, 2006

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/20/weekinreview/20lizza.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

• Rawlinson.Linnie. Will the 2008 Election be won on Facebook? May 29, 2007. http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TECH/05/01/election.facebook/ *Goldfarb, Zachary A. “Facebook flexes political might.” The Washington Post, 3 February 2007. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16955489/
• Feldman, Linda "Web 2.0 meets Campaign 2008." The Christian Science Monitor. May 16, 2007.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0516/p01s02-uspo.html.

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