The internet and politics

As part of a group project, I had to figure out the workings of politics and media. I found the part about the internet to be relevant to the interests of our class.

As several nations such as China and the United States start the process for a change in regime, many are making the change to focus their strategy to the internet to reel in voters. In a 2006 article in the New York Times, Adam Nagourney talks about the shift from traditional media to the cyber highway. “The Internet, they said, appears to be far more efficient, and less costly, than the traditional tools of politics, notably door knocking and telephone banks.

Analysts say the campaign television advertisement, already diminishing in influence with the proliferation of cable stations, faces new challenges as campaigns experiment with technology that allows direct messaging to more specific audiences, and through unconventional means” (Nagourney). He goes on to say that in the United States alone, people started to rely more on the internet for their information than any other source. Through the internet, people are able to blog political stand point, create podcasts that preach platform to those that wish to hear it, and for the people of several nations to respond quickly. The events of the Jasmine revolution were first exposed by those who posted videos and blogs to the internet. The majority of the Obama campaign was presented through the internet and this year he opened blogging sites that will entice the young vote. And that in itself is the reason why the internet is becoming a greater power than its older counterpart; the young vote. If the old players want to gain pawns for their cause they have to be able to stay with the technological advances of the youth that will someday take over. The winner will become the person who can present their information in the most concise and interesting way possible.