{"id":290,"date":"2017-05-16T19:54:11","date_gmt":"2017-05-16T19:54:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-massmedia\/chapter\/15-6-digital-democracy-and-its-possible-effects\/"},"modified":"2017-05-16T19:54:11","modified_gmt":"2017-05-16T19:54:11","slug":"15-6-digital-democracy-and-its-possible-effects","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-hccc-massmedia\/chapter\/15-6-digital-democracy-and-its-possible-effects\/","title":{"raw":"15.6 Digital Democracy and Its Possible Effects","rendered":"15.6 Digital Democracy and Its Possible Effects"},"content":{"raw":"
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Learning Objectives<\/h3>\n
  1. Explain how the Internet has changed citizens\u2019 role in the political process.<\/li>\n
  2. Determine the differences between traditional campaigning and digital campaigning.<\/li>\n <\/ol><\/div>\n

    In an era when work, discourse, and play are increasingly experienced via the Internet, it is fitting that politics have surged online as well in a recent phenomenon known as digital democracy. Digital democracy<\/a><\/span>\u2014also known as e-democracy\u2014engages citizens in government and civic action through online tools. This new form of democracy began as an effort to include larger numbers of citizens in the democratic process. Recent evidence seems to confirm a rising popular belief that the Internet is the most effective modern way to engage individuals in politics. \u201cOnline political organizations\u2026have attracted millions of members, raised tens of millions of dollars, and become a key force in electoral politics. Even more important, the 2004 and 2008 election cycles show that candidates themselves can use the Internet to great effect (Hindman, 2008).\u201d<\/p>\n

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    President Obama\u2019s Digital Campaign<\/h2>\n
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    Figure 15.6<\/span> <\/p>\n \"15.6.0\"<\/a>

    President Barack Obama has been called \u201cthe digital candidate\u201d for his use of digital technology during his 2008 presidential campaign.<\/p>

    shutterblog - YES WE DID!<\/a> - CC BY 2.0.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div>\n

    Perhaps the best example of a political candidate putting digital democracy to use is the successful 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama. On June 8, 2008, following Obama\u2019s victory in the Democratic presidential primaries, The New York Times<\/em> published an article discussing the candidate\u2019s use of the Internet in his nomination bid. Titled \u201cThe Wiki-Way to the Nomination,\u201d the article credits Obama\u2019s success to his employment of digital technology: \u201cBarack Obama is the victor, and the Internet is taking the bows (Cohen, 2008).\u201d<\/p>\n

    Obama\u2019s campaign certainly is not the first to rely on the Internet. Another Democratic presidential hopeful, Howard Dean, famously built his campaign online during the 2004 election cycle. But the Obama campaign took full advantage of the possibilities of digital democracy and, ultimately, secured the Oval Office partially on the strength of that strategy. As one writer puts it, \u201cWhat is interesting about the story of his digital campaign is the way in which digital was integrated fully into the Obama campaign, rather than [being] seen as an additional extra (Williams, 2009).\u201d President Obama\u2019s successful campaign serves as an excellent example of the possibilities of digital democracy.<\/p>\n

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    Traditional Websites<\/h2>\n

    Several existing political websites proved beneficial to the Obama campaign. Founded in 1998, the liberal website MoveOn.org<\/a> has long used its popularity and supporter base to mobilize citizens to vote, lobby, or donate funds to Democratic campaigns. With more than 4 million members, MoveOn.org<\/a> plays a noticeable role in U.S. politics and serves as inspiration for other like-minded digital efforts.<\/p>\n

    The Obama campaign gave a nod to the success of such sites by building a significant web presence. Websites such as MyBarackObama.com<\/a> formed the foundation of these online efforts. However, the success of the Obama digital campaign came from its use of online media in all its forms. The campaign turned not only to traditional websites but also to social networking sites, e-mail outreach, text messages, and viral videos.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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    Social Networking<\/h2>\n

    More and more, digital democracy demands that its users rely on these alternative forms of Internet outreach. Social networking site Facebook was the hub of many digital outreach efforts during the 2008 campaign. As of 2010, Barack Obama\u2019s official Facebook page boasts more than 9 million fans, and the Obama administration uses the page to send messages about the current political climate.<\/p>\n

    Individuals not part of the official campaign also established Facebook pages supporting the candidate. Mamas for Obama emerged just prior to the election, as did Women for Obama and the Michelle Obama Fan Club. The groups range in size, but all speak to a new wave of digital democracy. Other political candidates, including 2008 Republican presidential contender John McCain, have also turned to Facebook, albeit in less comprehensive ways.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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    E-Mail Outreach<\/h2>\n

    The Obama campaign also relied on e-mail. In 2009, an article was published titled \u201cThe Story Behind Obama\u2019s Digital Campaign\u201d discussing the success of Obama\u2019s use of the Internet. According to the article, 13.5 million people signed up for updates on Obama\u2019s progress via the MyBarackObama.com<\/a> website. The campaign regularly sent out e-mails to reach its audience.<\/p>\n \n Emails were short\u2014never longer than 300 words\u2014and never anonymous, there was always a consistency of voice and tone. Obama and other key figures in the campaign also contributed emails to be sent\u2014\u201cMichelle wrote her own emails\u2026and more people opened those than her husband\u2019s\u201d\u2014giving the campaign a personal touch and authenticity, rather than the impression of being simply churned out by the PR machine (Williams, 2009).\n <\/span>\n

    A combination of message and financial appeal, the e-mails were successful not only in reaching target audiences but also in earning valuable campaign dollars.<\/p>\n \n Two billion emails were then sent out, although\u2026this email content was carefully managed, with individuals targeted with different \u201ctracks\u201d depending on their circumstances and whether they had already donated to the campaign\u2026. By the end of the campaign the website had mobilized over 3 million people to contribute over $500 million online (Williams, 2009).\n <\/span>\n <\/div>\n

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    Text Messaging<\/h2>\n

    Additionally, Obama used text messaging to reach out to his supporters. During the campaign, supporters could sign up to receive text messages, and attendees at rallies and other events were asked to send text messages to friends or potential supporters to encourage them to participate in Obama\u2019s campaign. Members of MyBarackObama.com<\/a> were the first to discover his running mate selection via text message (Organizing for America). This tool proved helpful and demonstrated the Obama campaign\u2019s commitment to fully relying on the digital world.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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    E-Democracy<\/h2>\n

    Perhaps even more impressive than the campaign\u2019s commitment to digital democracy were the e-democracy efforts of Obama\u2019s supporters. Websites such as Barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com<\/a>, a gently mocking site \u201clisting the many examples of Mr. Obama\u2019s magical compassion. (\u2018Barack Obama carries a picture of you in his wallet\u2019; \u2018Barack Obama thought you could use some chocolate\u2019),\u201d1<\/sup> emerged, but viral videos offered even stronger examples of Obama\u2019s grassroots campaign.<\/p>\n

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    Figure 15.7<\/span> <\/p>\n [caption id=\"attachment_1378\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"683\"]\"will.i.am<\/a> will.i.am #willpower Wrap Party at the Avalon in Hollywood, CA on August 13, 2012[\/caption]

    The music video \u201cYes We Can,\u201d created by the Black Eyed Peas\u2019 will.i.am, was viewed more than 20 million times leading up to the 2008 presidential election. It is just one example of digital campaigning used by supporters of political candidates.<\/p>

    Wikimedia Commons<\/a> - CC BY-SA 3.0.<\/p>\n <\/div><\/div><\/div>\n

    One example of a supporter-created video was \u201cBarack Paper Scissors,\u201d an interactive game inspired by rock-paper-scissors. Posted on YouTube, the video logged some 600,000 views. The success of videos such as \u201cBarack Paper Scissors\u201d did not go unnoticed by the Obama campaign. The viral video \u201cYes We Can,\u201d in which Barack Obama\u2019s words were set to music by will.i.am (of the Black Eyed Peas), has been viewed more than 20 million times online. Capitalizing on the popularity of the clip, the campaign brought it from YouTube to its main website, thus generating even more views and greater exposure for its message.<\/p>\n

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    Political Rumors Online<\/h4>\n

    Although the Internet is a powerful tool for candidates, it also propagates rumors that can derail\u2014or at least hinder\u2014a politician\u2019s career. Blog posts and mass e-mails can be created within minutes and then reposted or forwarded in seconds. Thus, ideas spread like wildfire regardless of their relative truth. Snopes.com<\/a>, a website dedicated to verifying or debunking urban legends and Internet rumors, has an entire search section dedicated to political rumors, ranging from shooting down a list of books supposedly banned by Sarah Palin to investigating whether actress Nancy Cartwright, best known as the voice of Bart Simpson, was once elected mayor of Northridge, California. The pages dedicated to major political figures such as President Obama can be huge; Obama\u2019s page, for example, lists more than 60 debunked rumors. Some of these rumors include the questioning of his U.S. citizenship, his decision to ban recreational fishing, and his refusal to sign Eagle Scout certificates.<\/p>\n

    Many of these online rumors are accompanied by \u201cphotographic evidence,\u201d thanks to technology such as Photoshop, which allows photographs to be manipulated with the click of a mouse. With such a spread of online rumors, savvy media consumers must be wary of what they read and seek out legitimate sources of information to verify the news that they receive.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n

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    Digital Democracy and the Digital Divide<\/h2>\n

    Just as digital technology access issues can create the kinds of problems discussed in Chapter 13 \"Economics of Mass Media\"<\/a>, the digital divide can equally split the country\u2019s involvement with politics along tech-savvy lines. Certainly, the Obama campaign\u2019s reliance on modern technology allowed it to reach a large population of young voters; but in doing so, the campaign focused much of its attention in an area out of reach to other voters. In The Myth of Digital Democracy<\/em>, author Matthew Hindman wonders, \u201cIs the Internet making politics less exclusive?\u201d2<\/sup> The answer is likely both yes and no. While the Internet certainly has the power to inform and mobilize many individuals, it also denies poorer citizens without digital access an opportunity to be part of the new wave of e-democracy.<\/p>\n

    Nevertheless, digital democracy will continue to play a large role in politics, particularly after the overwhelming success of President Obama\u2019s largely digital campaign. But politicians and their supporters must consider the digital divide and work to reach out to those who are not plugged in to the digital world.<\/p>\n

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    Key Takeaways<\/h3>\n