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ARTelevision · 11-01-2004, 05:29 AM

More Informed Or More Agitated? Blame The Internet

from internetweek.com

The Internet has been a bigger factor in this presidential
campaign than any other to date. In this election we've
seen online services like Meetup mobilizing voters; e-mail
campaigns driving fundraising; official blogs promoting
candidates; unofficial blogs -- like Electablog, Noted Now,
and Talking Points -- commenting on the race; sites like
FactCheck.org evaluating candidates' statements; site like
Campaign Desk analyzing campaign media coverage; Webcasts
of polling data like Gallup's Daily Briefing; and My
Polling Place to show us where to cast our vote.

But are people really using this cradle-to-grave array of
online election information to inform their vote? Or is it
just Beltway insiders and journalists chasing process
stories? The Pew Internet & American Life Project has tried
to suss out the situation. According to their new report,
more than 40 percent of Internet users in the U.S. have
gotten information about this year's presidential campaign
online, a 50 percent increase from the 2000 election. Among
broadband users, 31 percent say their primary source of
election-related news is online; 35 percent claim the same
of newspapers. Though this data indicates that people are
going to the Internet for election information, another
finding of the report was perhaps more telling: 20 percent
of Americans surveyed said they prefer news sources that
challenge their point of view and 10 percent said they are
more aware of arguments that oppose their candidate than
arguments in favor.

That this election is the most polarized in recent memory
is generally accepted, but what role has the Internet
played? The Pew data suggests that many people are seeking
out multiple perspectives, a positive step away from the
top-down information culture of broadcast networks. Though
bringing more voices to the discussion should make us more
informed, in this election at least it seems to be making
us just more pissed. Here's to hoping that's more to do
with the current candidates and issues than the information
infrastructure.

And of course one last reminder: vote tomorrow or you
can't complain about the results.

................................................

As I've stated, I see politics as a pursuit of power, not truth. Information is used as a weapon in this pursuit. So it seems clear to me that the more political information one is exposed to the more embattled, bellicose, or world-weary one becomes. Add to that the interactive interface of the Net, which allows for active participation, i.e. argumentation and disputation - with all the attendant ego display, bullying, and grandstanding those forms provide - and it's no surprise to me that we are the worse for it.

You may see this differently...

11-01-2004, 05:29 AM	#1 (permalink)
ARTelevision I change Location: USA	Politics and the Net - information or agitation? More Informed Or More Agitated? Blame The Internet from internetweek.com The Internet has been a bigger factor in this presidential campaign than any other to date. In this election we've seen online services like Meetup mobilizing voters; e-mail campaigns driving fundraising; official blogs promoting candidates; unofficial blogs -- like Electablog, Noted Now, and Talking Points -- commenting on the race; sites like FactCheck.org evaluating candidates' statements; site like Campaign Desk analyzing campaign media coverage; Webcasts of polling data like Gallup's Daily Briefing; and My Polling Place to show us where to cast our vote. But are people really using this cradle-to-grave array of online election information to inform their vote? Or is it just Beltway insiders and journalists chasing process stories? The Pew Internet & American Life Project has tried to suss out the situation. According to their new report, more than 40 percent of Internet users in the U.S. have gotten information about this year's presidential campaign online, a 50 percent increase from the 2000 election. Among broadband users, 31 percent say their primary source of election-related news is online; 35 percent claim the same of newspapers. Though this data indicates that people are going to the Internet for election information, another finding of the report was perhaps more telling: 20 percent of Americans surveyed said they prefer news sources that challenge their point of view and 10 percent said they are more aware of arguments that oppose their candidate than arguments in favor. That this election is the most polarized in recent memory is generally accepted, but what role has the Internet played? The Pew data suggests that many people are seeking out multiple perspectives, a positive step away from the top-down information culture of broadcast networks. Though bringing more voices to the discussion should make us more informed, in this election at least it seems to be making us just more pissed. Here's to hoping that's more to do with the current candidates and issues than the information infrastructure. And of course one last reminder: vote tomorrow or you can't complain about the results. ................................................ As I've stated, I see politics as a pursuit of power, not truth. Information is used as a weapon in this pursuit. So it seems clear to me that the more political information one is exposed to the more embattled, bellicose, or world-weary one becomes. Add to that the interactive interface of the Net, which allows for active participation, i.e. argumentation and disputation - with all the attendant ego display, bullying, and grandstanding those forms provide - and it's no surprise to me that we are the worse for it. You may see this differently... __________________ create evolution Last edited by ARTelevision; 11-01-2004 at 05:36 AM..