Recent studies report more Americans turning to the Web for political information.
Americans increasingly go online for political news and commentary while campaign ads lead to user action and more data gathering, according to “The Internet and the democratic debate,” conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in collaboration with the University of Michigan School of Information and BURST! Media’s study on campaign and advocacy ads.
The Pew Internet study found that Internet users have greater overall exposure to political arguments, including those that challenge their candidate preferences and their positions on some key issues. Political commentators expressed concerns that the growing use of the Web would be harmful to democratic deliberation. The Pew Internet study found that the Internet contributes to a wider spectrum of political views; and in doing so, challenges the assumptions of pundits.
comScore Media Metrix reported that JohnKerry.com and GeorgeWBush.com each drew more than 300,000 U.S. visitors on Monday, November 1, 2004. These numbers represent an increase of more than 100 percent compared to each of the sites’ average visitation levels.
One thing’s for certain: More Americans get their news and information about politics online.
"More than 40 percent of those who use the Internet have gotten political material during this campaign, which is more than 50 percent higher than the number who had gotten such information in the 2000 campaign," according the Pew study. That translates to 30 million Americans getting news about politics online in 2000 to 63 million by the middle of 2004.
Nielsen//NetRatings reported that at-home traffic to AOL Elections took the top spot as the fastest growing news and political site during the first week of November. AOL Elections site traffic increased 324 percent from November 1st to 2nd with two million unique visitors.
With the increase of online America seeking political information comes an increase of online campaign ads. The BURST! Media study found that 32.4 percent of likely voters surveyed said they clicked on a Web ad for a political candidate or issue advocacy group during the recent campaign. The study also reported that 72.4 percent surveyed continued to read additional information about the candidate’s platform after clicking these ads.
"This is an extraordinary response to campaign ads. Any ad that prompts people to seek further information or take a definitive action like signing up for a newsletter or making a donation, is having a powerful impact," says Jarvis Coffin, president and chief executive officer, BURST! Media.
The BURST! Media study found that 44.5 percent surveyed signed up to receive campaign email alerts, 42.8 percent watched a video ad, 31.8 percent made an online donation and 21 percent signed up to volunteer for the campaign.
BURST! Media also reports that 68.6 percent of likely voters who clicked on a Web ad also clicked on an advocacy group’s ad. The study found that 66.2 percent went on to read additional information on the group positions on a campaign issue such as the war in Iraq or gay marriage, 43.3 percent clicked and sent an automated message to an elected official and 40.9 percent signed an online petition. Men were more likely than women to say they clicked on a candidate’s or advocacy group’s Web ad, 38.7 percent versus 25.9 percent respectfully, according to the BURST! Media study.
Television remains the primary news source for political information despite the increase in likely voters researching information online, the Pew Internet study found. Approximately 78 percent surveyed say that television is a main source of campaign news. Newspapers followed second with 38 percent and then radio at 16 percent. Surprisingly enough 15 percent surveyed say the Internet was their primary political news source. Therefore, according to the Pew Internet study, Internet news is mostly used as a compliment to more traditional media.
The BURST! Media study found gender stats to be similar to the BURST! Data: 46.7 percent of the men surveyed and 45.4 percent of women say they have visited a candidate's Web site.
Surprisingly enough, it's older voters who are more likely to visit a candidate's Web site than younger adults. BURST! Reports that more than 50 percent of likely voters 35 years and older say they visited a candidate's Web site in the recent presidential election. The study found that only 35 percent of likely voters 18 to 24 and 42.4 percent of likely voters 25 to 34 years have visited a candidate's Web site.
The BURST! Media study, like the Pew Internet report, found that many likely voters visit a candidate's Web site they don't support or are unsure they'd support. BURST! Reported that over one-half (56.5 percent) surveyed comprised this group. Seventy-two percent surveyed say they wanted to learn more about the candidate's position on issues.
Overall, the Pew Internet report and the BURST! Media study found that more Americans are turning to the Web for political news and information. Though surveyed voters see the Web as an ancillary component to traditional media such as TV ads and newspapers, more people go online to find sources to challenge their beliefs or confirm their views.
Additional resources:
Pew Internet & American Life Progect
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