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Political Blogs

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POLITICAL BLOGS 12 million American adults ( 8% of internet users) keep a blog 57 million adults (39% of internet users) have read a blog the regular daily audience ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Political Blogs


1
Political Blogs
2
  • 12 million American adults ( 8 of internet
    users) keep a blog
  • 57 million adults (39 of internet users) have
    read a blog
  • the regular daily audience for political blogs is
    fairly small
  • in the millions of readers, not tens of millions

3
Political Blogging
  • also known as polblogs
  • political blogs first became popular in the 2004
    election
  • they were ridiculed when Howard Dean used them in
    his presidential campaign
  • but have since become very popular
  • since 2006, blogs and other interactive and
    social media have become
  • the focus of the press
  • -provide a way to become politically interested
    -encourage participation
  • in 2008, the question was no longer whether to
    use political blogging but how to do so

4
Who are Political Bloggers?
  • surveys have found that polbloggers are
    disproportionately male, higher income, and have
    higher levels of education than the average
    American
  • they are much more likely to get involved in
    politics in traditional ways than other Americans
  • giving money
  • voting
  • they are people who probably have some influence
    (whether positive or negative) on the
    decision-making of larger groups
  • Ed Keller and John Berry say that these people
    are the strategically placed transmitters that
    amplify the signal, multiplying the number of
    people who hear it.

5
Daily Political Blog Readers All Others
Male 75 60
Female 25 40
18-24 7 5
25-34 14 13
35-54 41 41
55-64 23 25
65 and up 16 16
High school graduate 3 4
Some college 23 27
College graduate 45 41
Post-graduate degree 30 28
n 723 7,140
6
In the past year have you. Daily Political Blog Readers All Others
Contacted a politician? 77 61
Written a letter to the editor or called a radio station? 48 28
Been a member of a group that tries to influence public policy? 44 28
Attended a political speech or rally? 40 22
Attended a local public meeting? 35 33
Made a speech? 29 28
Served on a local committee? 23 24
Served as an officer for an organization? 22 26
n 723 7,140
7
Why Blogging
  • since 2001, blogging and all other forms of
    Internet communication have become run of the
    mill and everyone does them
  • thus, it has become less intimidating
  • people want a chance to level the playing field
    and get on the same level as other pundits
  • theres a road to success through this medium now
  • not just people who are ambitious and want a
    career in it but also just people who really want
    to make a difference

8
The Community Aspect
  • blogs provide a sense of community that used to
    be the lifeblood of traditional news
    organizations
  • especially newspapers
  •  the Internet has become an ideal medium for
    fostering a new type of community in which people
    have never met, and may not even know each
    other's real names, but who share certain views
    and opinions about the way the world works

9
Attitudes and beliefs
  • many people want the news delivered to them in
    the context of their attitudes and beliefs
  • that doesn't mean they only want reinforcing
    views (although some do)
  • they see their news consumption as something
    that takes place within their community, to be
    fit into a pre-existing framework of ideas that
    may be challenged but that must be acknowledged

10
  • "The news creates a shared pool of stories that
    gives us a way to talk to people who aren't
    family or close friends or people who we will
    never meetin short, our fellow citizens. The
    truth is, people still want those neighbor-to
    neighbor contacts, but the traditional ways of
    doing it don't fit into the lives that people are
    actually living today. Your core audience is
    tired, sitting on the couch with their laptop,
    and watching 'Lost' with one eye. Give them
    someone to sit with."

11
Should they be trusted?
  • all news needs to be evaluated within the context
    in which it was produced
  • it is considered bad form to not disclose who you
    are writing for/working with
  • especially if someone is getting paid

12
Their Effectiveness
  • liberals or conservatives who get all of their
    news from ideologically friendly sources don't
    have much incentive to change their minds
  • bloggers can be very influential in their own
    circles
  • BUT were not yet at the point where they are
    actively and extensively shaping a larger media
    narrative

13
The 2008 Election
14
ELECT OBAMA AND WELL HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL
CRISISTHE REPUBLICAN SIDE
  • a huge difference between 2004 and 2008
  • theyve learned its a group of people they need
    to talk to
  • Fred Thompson
  • before he officially announced he was very
    involved but then stopped
  • Mitt Romney
  • very quick about putting things up
  • video highlights from debates
  • opposition research
  • John McCain
  • regular blogger conference calls
  • the blogosphere has never been exactly his fan
    base

15
How many have to die thanks to Bush's lies?The
democratic Side
  • the candidates themselves have not done a great
    deal of outreach to the blogging community (with
    the exception of Dodd)
  • Chris Dodd
  • hired a really good internet team who was very
    active early on with the political blogs and knew
    how everything worked
  • how the rest stack up
  • Edwards
  • Clinton
  • Obama
  • (this is just in terms of political blogging and
    does not include social networking)

16
  • The Daily Kos
  • Little Green Footballs
  • Talking Points Memo
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