Social networks and the 2008 political elections
Just something to update on what I’m doing. I’m writing a new version of the “legal and ethical issues in online journalism” article I wrote for “Keeping Free Presses Free,” and I’m working with a colleague on a study of the use of social networks in the 2008 presidential campaign. Oh, and I’m blogging at the ICM weblog all the time.
I’m also watching the financial news and wondering what’s ahead for 2009. It could be an ugly year.
Academic Resources page working again
For some reason, the Academic Resources page was not working with the WordPress 2.6 upgrade. Now, with 2.6.1, it appears to be working again. Enjoy.
The role of the Internet in the 2008 campaign - AEJMC
Update: Alfred Hermida posted a video interview with Georgia10. Check it out.
This morning, I sat in a panel about the role of the Internet in the 2008 campaign. Here are my notes from the panel:
Aaron Smith - Pew Internet researcher: Two trends - 73 percent of americans are internet users. this campaign, we’re seeing record-setting levels of interest in the campaign. 40 percent of all adults were going online to get information about politics. 20 percent were going online every day to get political information. Online video - 1/3 have watched online videos about politics - double in the past (13 percent). Primary, unfiltered campaign materials - 1/3 of internet users. web 2.0 is 10-15 percent of internet users. compared to 04-06, double or triple from small starting point. Social networking sites - first time we asked about sn sites. this year, 10 percent of all adults have gotten some sort of campaign or political information from social networking sites. 2/3 of 18-29 year olds have profiles - 1/2 of them have used those sites to get political information.
Mark Tremaine - UT-Austin: 2008 - what’s happened is a lot of top blogs have become group blogs. During the Democratic primaries, objective blogs didn’t succeed. Clinton/Obama split occurred on the liberal blogs, not strictly along gender lines.
Georgia Logothetis - Daily Kos - georgia10: The blogging medium has exploded within the last 5 years.
1. the interaction between blogs and the traditional media, and what effect will the blogs have on the fall election?
The type of people that blog are not elite, they’re not a specific class. It’s empowering, and that’s what the medium does. It’s empowering for the average american to go into a medium and say “I have a valid opinion about politics.”
(Blogs) operate as a fact-checker on the traditional media. Beauty of the blogging medium … when I post a blog post, when I cite to something, I have to hyperlink to my source. when someone writes an opinion piece, they don’t have to disclose to the reader their sources.
Context - blogging has exploded. citizen empowerment. along with empowerment comes a more rabble-rousing electorate. People become more informed. they are demanding more from their politicians.
Tom Johnson - Texas Tech: Social network sites have really played a major role, particularly with the Obama campaign. You tube is a two-edged sword for candidates. it allows them to present themselves unvarnished in the media. No real control over what gets posted. Any gaffe that they make gets on there. Social networks makes politics local. Supporters keep in contact with each other. Way to connect with young voters. To a certain degree, pollsters have underestimated the power (facebook) has.
Bill Adee - Chicago Tribune director of innovation: (Regarding the John Edwards affair story) One of the huge issues facing organizations like the Chicago Tribune. We would have gotten killed by our readers for (covering the story in October). By not doing so, we’re getting killed today. We get held to a standard that our own readers aren’t willing to hold themselves to. More than our business model, it’s also our journalism that’s putting us in a tough spot too - the standards we’re holding ourselves to.
Last day of AEJMC
One more day of convention-going, and it’s been difficult to blog with random wireless frustrations. The lobby free wireless is slow at times, and the hotel wants $14/day for Internet in the rooms. Alfred Hermida has been much more successful, mainly because he wrangled a special code from the hotel for access in the meeting rooms. Check out his blog for info from various sessions he’s been attending.
One thing to come out of this convention: I’m signed up for the Online News Association conference in DC next month. w00t!
In Chicago, finally
After a 4 1/2-hour delay thanks to Amtrak, I am finally sitting in the lobby of the AEJMC convention hotel. In the first 20 minutes here, I ran into six people I knew. Tomorrow will be a full day of convention-going, and I hope to have some interesting tidbits to share here.
AEJMC next week
For those who still read or check the site occasionally, I’ll be at the AEJMC Convention in Chicago Wednesday through Saturday. Should be interesting. I think this is the first AEJMC conference I’ve been to where I’m not presenting or sitting on a panel.
updated c.v.
I’ve updated the C.V. on this site. If you are interested in reading more of my blog postings, check out Innovation in College Media.
Lots of posting about the ONA Convention
If you’re interested, I’ve been posting quite a bit about the Online News Association Conference in Toronto on another weblog. You can read the posts here.
Roanoke’s Yancey about hiring new journalists
Seth Gitner on the Roanoke editor ad
Flickr
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