text The Next Generation: The Internet & Politics, 2004-2006 assets/images/thmbs/intro.gif Evolution of the Internet

Initial research on the concept of computer networking began in the 1960s, and the predecessors to the Internet developed steadily until it reached something resembling its current form in 1991 with the release of the World Wide Web. The U.S. Census Bureau began tracking Internet use in 1997.

The Internet quickly became a well-established part of American society. Seemingly overnight, print and broadcasting industries were forced to adapt to a world in which everyone had access to news at anytime. While traditional media outlets reformatted their product for cyberspace, the Internet spawned new sites and services that began

]]> playing major roles in political campaigns.

The 'Net and the 2004 Election

2004 Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean made use of the Internet and its social networking capabilities to jump-start his campaign and re-invent traditional concepts of campaign financing. Although Dean's campaign collapsed almost as spectacularly as it began, the political world noticed his success.

Blogs, YouTube, and MySpace

The Internet challenged ideas about how to run a campaign. It shattered the idea that only trained reporters could write an influential column or that only trained filmmakers could create

]]> videos capable of reaching millions of viewers. Sites like MySpace and Facebook allow candidates to reach a much wider audience. However, the Internet's potential for growth and instantaneous reporting bring a certain amount of risk; both facts and errors spread equally quickly on the Internet, making failure just as likely as success.

The most important trends in the media and the Internet began on a national level. Consequently, this section focuses mostly on national topics; but the Internet's ability to carry ideas across long distances makes national politics increasingly relevant to the story of North Carolina.

Click on the thumbnails to view the materials in this section.

]]> linkout Internet Advocacy: The MoveOn.org Story assets/images/thmbs/2004-org.gif MoveOn.org; Grassfire.org; Political parties are using websites as portals to party-related content: Republican Party; Democratic Party; Libertarian Party; Green Party.]]> Advocacy Groups Meet the Web

Citizen advocacy groups are not new, but they gained a new place in the American political process with the success of MoveOn.org, which was launched in 1998 during the Clinton impeachment controversy. The website orchestrated a massive lobbying campaign based on e-mails and phone calls. After the controversy blew over, the website remained active, participating in grassroots fundraising for candidates in the 2000 election.

]]> Following MoveOn.org's model, other special interest groups quickly embraced the Internet as a way to organize their supporters and amplify their voices.

Grassroots on the Web

"Grassroots" refers to movements driven by citizens rather than traditional political organizations. Both grassroots campaigns like MoveOn.org and established special interest groups have had success in using the Internet to achieve their goals. And one of the few common goals of most interest groups is to get voters directly involved: higher participation gives these groups a louder voice. Some have even launched sites like Congress.org, designed to facilitate contact with your elected representatives.

]]> assets/images/2004-org.jpg Screenshot from the MoveOn.org website. Accessed July 25, 2007 at [http://www.moveon.org] Material in screenshot is (c) MoveOn.org 2007. MoveOn.org is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. Capitol Advantage. Congress.org. http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/ (Accessed July 27, 2007).

MoveOn.org Civic Action & MoveOn.Org Political Action. MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action. http://www.moveon.org (Accessed July 25, 2007). Screenshot, main index.

---. "About the MoveOn Family of Organizations." MoveOn.org: Democracy in Action. http://www.moveon.org/about.html (Accessed July 25, 2007). Screenshot, main index.

]]> linkout Politics and the "Blogosphere" assets/images/thmbs/2004-blogs.gif Daily Kos is one of the more influential liberal blogs; Senator Barack Obama responded directly to the blog on his website. Technorati tracks popular blogs and other sites. See the reference page for more blogs.]]> Blogs & The Dean Campaign

In 2004, Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean built a successful early campaign using social networking site Meetup.com and countless bloggers. Blogs, originally short for "web logs," have since changed the way the mainstream media and political campaigns operate. Anybody can create a blog or comment on one, and while not everybody can pick up the kind of audience required to get national attention, they have introduced a more personal,

]]> unpredictable aspect to traditional newsgathering. The early success of Dean's fundraising highlights the potential power of blogs.

Mainstreaming the Blog

While blogs will probably always be open to average citizens, they shifted from the cutting edge of campaigning to an expected part of political discussion in the 2006 and 2008 elections. Newspapers now employ a host of bloggers to increase coverage and conversation about local topics such as growth, schools, state politics, and college sports. Politicans often have official blogs during their campaigns and sometimes while in office. Blogs also report on the actions of city councils, school boards, and other local government units.

]]> assets/images/2004-blog.jpg Screenshot from the Daily Kos website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://www.dailykos.com] Material in screenshot is (c) Daily Kos 2007. Daily Kos is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. Daily Kos Staff. Daily Kos: State of the Nation. http://www.dailykos.org (Accessed July 25, 2007). Screenshot, main index.

]]> linkout The New Political Cartoon: Flash Animation assets/images/thmbs/2007-noflash.gif News & Observer: "State House Rock." From JibJab.com: This Land! (Contains some profanity.) See the reference page for more examples.]]> Flash Animations

Flash is an animation authoring tool used to create most of the games and animations seen on the Web today. Flash animations first got widespread attention as a new dimension of the age-old political cartoon in 2004 with JibJab.com's "This Land!", a musical cartoon that lampooned both President George W. Bush and his 2004 Democratic challenger Senator John Kerry. It wasn't the first animated political cartoon, nor the last; other Flash

]]> cartoons covering everything from the ridiculous and inane to nuclear proliferation have become pop culture icons.

The N&O's Cartoons

Following the spread of Flash cartoons, mainstream media outlets began using the medium. The Raleigh News & Observer published a series of animated cartoons on its website poking fun at the Duke, NC State, and UNC-Chapel Hill coaches in 2006. In a city where college sports rivalries are sometimes stronger than political ones, the coaches offered an ideal opportunity for the N&O to try out the new medium. In May 2007, the paper followed its sports cartoons with an animation satirizing the stalled state budget process.

]]> assets/images/2007-noflash.jpg Screenshot from the News & Observer website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://projects.newsobserver.com/node/865] Material in screenshot is (c) News & Observer 2007. The News & Observer is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. Blackwell, Grey. "State House Rock." News & Observer. Posted May 31, 2007. http://projects.newsobserver.com/node/865 (Accessed July 24, 2007) Screenshot, Flash animation.

Spiridellis, Gregg & Evan Spiridellis. "This Land." Funny Video Animation by JibJab. Posted July 9, 2004. http://www.jibjab.com/originals/this_land (Accessed July 24, 2007).

]]> linkout Comedy Central and Fake News assets/images/thmbs/2004-humor.gif Comedy Central website; see also Stephen Colbert at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner and Jon Stewart on CNN's Crossfire.]]> Jon Stewart & Stephen Colbert

Political humor and late-night comedy shows have been classic parts of the typical cable TV lineup for years now, but there hasn't been anything quite like Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. The two shows turn news into comedy in a "fake news" format that not only satirizes the news but also the media itself. On two separate occasions, they took their criticism of the mainstream media beyond their shows; in 2004, Stewart

]]> appeared on CNN's Crossfire and blasted the show's hosts for "partisan hackery" and failing to promote meaningful public discourse. And in 2006, Colbert was invited to speak at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner, during which he mocks the relationship of the press with the White House. Both performances became Internet sensations despite heavy criticism from the mainstream media.

Politicians have taken notice of the shows' popularity, and several universities have published studies on the effects of the shows. With alternative news sources, including fake news and parodies, becoming increasingly available, critiques of traditional media and politics have never been easier to find.

]]> assets/images/2004-humor.jpg Screenshot from the Comedy Central website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://www.comedycentral.com] Material in screenshot is (c) Comedy Central 2007. Comedy Central is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. Colbert, Stephen. "Colbert Roasts President Bush - 2006 White House Correspondents Dinner." Google Videos. Aired April 29, 2006. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-869183917758574879 (Accessed July 24, 2007). Video clip.

Stewart, Jon. "The Cheney Presidency." Comedy Central: Videos from The Daily Show. Aired July 23, 2007. http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/index.jhtml (Accessed July 24, 2007). Screenshot, video clip.

]]> linkout Senator George Allen (R-VA) & The "Macaca Moment" assets/images/thmbs/2006-youtube-macaca.gif "Allen's Listening Tour". For further reading, see mainstream media coverage of the video at CNN and MSNBC.]]> 2006 & The "Macaca Moment"

With the Internet's ability to spread information quickly uncontrollably, it was only a matter of time before an off-the-cuff comment had a devastating impact on a political campaign. Incumbent senatorial candidate George Allen (R-VA) was involved with one such event in 2006 when he addressed an Indian-American campaign volunteer as "macaca," a racial slur in some parts of the world. The comment was filmed and supporters of his

]]> opponent, Jim Webb, posted the video on YouTube. This video and Allen's subsequent loss in the 2006 midterm elections forced the political establishment to recognize the influence of sites like YouTube.

YouTube has reversed the standard roles in "making news"; instead of the mainstream media creating content for the general public, the public is creating content to be picked up later by the media. Traditionally, the media performed an "agenda-setting" function in political discussions, influencing which topics would receive attention by the amount of coverage they gave to these subjects. Now, the Internet allows citizens to have more power over which issues enter the public debate.

]]> assets/images/2006-youtube-macaca.jpg Screenshot from the YouTube.com website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://impact.myspace.com] Material in screenshot is (c) YouTube 2007. YouTube is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. YouTube.com user WebbCampaign. "Allen's Listening Tour." YouTube.com. http://youtube.com/watch?v=9G7gq7GQ71c (Accessed July 24, 2007). Screenshot, video clip.

]]> linkout "You": Time Magazine's 2006 Person of the Year assets/images/thmbs/2006-timemag.gif Click here to visit the TIME website and view the full cover. See also the accompanying story, "Time's Person of the Year: You" and "But Enough About You..." by NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.]]> About the Magazine

TIME Magazine began publication on March 3, 1923 as a newsmagazine designed to summarize current events and quickly became a very influential publication. Since 1927, the magazine has chosen a "Man of the Year" every year honoring the person, thing, or idea that most influenced that year's events.

In 2006, TIME was searching for a way to recognize the explosion of user-generated content on the

]]> Internet and its impact on society. The magazine chose to discuss the unprecedented power of Wikipedia, MySpace, etc. in 2006 by printing as its cover photo a reflective square with the word "YOU" on it. It declared that the "Person of the Year" was anyone who had posted a video or blog or other content on the Internet, and it described this trend as a "revolution" of the many grabbing power from the few.

It wasn't the first time the magazine chose a large group of people, or even an entire generation, for the honor. But it did attract a lot of attention, both serious and satirical. It was a tangible expression by the media of the Internet's potential to democratize the spread of information.

]]> assets/images/2006-timemag.jpg Screenshot from the TIME Archive website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20061225,00.html] Material in screenshot is (c) TIME Magazine 2006. TIME is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. TIME Magazine. "Person of the Year." TIME Archive. http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20061225,00.html (Accessed July 24, 2007). Screenshot, December 25, 2006 cover.

]]> linkout Presidential Candidates on YouTube, 2006-2008 assets/images/thmbs/2006-youtube-edwards.gif John Edwards announces his candidacy, "I Got a Crush...On Obama", Vote Different; also, see YouTube election portal, YouChoose '08. ]]> Announcing a Candidacy

Candidates for high office in the United States typically make a formal announcement declaring their intention to run, usually from an important, high-profile event. Former North Carolina Democratic senator John Edwards has been an exception. In 2004, he made an unofficial announcement of his candidacy on Comedy Central's The Daily Show, a fake/parody news show. In 2008, he again made a nontraditional unofficial

]]> announcement, posting this video on the free video uploading and sharing website YouTube. It was shot in an area of New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

This Edwards video was posted by his campaign, but for every official video by a presidential candidate, there are dozens of unofficial clips. The Barack Obama campaign, in particular, has had a fair share of unofficial videos posted by its supporters: "I got a Crush...On Obama," a music video parody, was played for days on the mainstream media. Obama supporters also posted a parody of the famous "1984" Apple ad campaign portraying Hillary Clinton as Big Brother. The campaign denies responsibility for both videos.

]]> assets/images/2006-youtube-edwards.jpg Screenshot from the YouTube.com website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://youtube.com/watch?v=9G7gq7GQ71c] Material in screenshot is (c) YouTube 2007. YouTube is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. De Vellis, Phil. "Vote Different." Posted March 5, 2007 by YouTube.com user ParkRidge47. YouTube.com. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo (Accessed July 24, 2007). Video clip.

Edwards, John. "Tomorrow Begins Today." YouTube.com. http://youtube.com/watch?v=9G7gq7GQ71c (Accessed July 24, 2007). Screenshot, video clip.

Relles, Ben, Leah Kauffman and Rick Friedrich. "'I Got a Crush...On Obama' By Obama Girl" YouTube.com. Posted June 13, 2007 by YouTube.com user barelypolitical. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU (Accessed July 24, 2007). Video clip.

]]> linkout MySpace's Impact Portal: Presidential Focus assets/images/thmbs/2007-myspace-impact.gif Click here to visit the MySpace Impact portal. The page contains links to the profiles of all declared presidential candidates currently on MySpace. The page also contains featured news and video links.]]> MySpace & the 2008 Election

MySpace, currently the largest social networking website, was launched in early 2004 and bought in 2005 by News Corporation, which also owns Fox Broadcasting and many other media outlets, from TV channels to newspapers. MySpace has since attracted millions of users andn thereby attracted the attention of presidential candidates running in the 2008 election. Hoping to repeat the Internet-fueled successes seen in the 2004

]]> election, candidates have created MySpace profiles in order to reach out to potential voters.

In March 2007, MySpace launched a new section of the site called "MySpace Impact." Impact is a portal linking users to candidate's official MySpace profiles, various news stories from different media outlets about the campaign, and featured videos. Some candidates, like Senator Barack Obama (D-IL), have embraced social networking websites as a key part of their campaign strategies.

Although the actual impact of "Impact" and similiar sites remains to be seen, they have already altered to some degree the way candidates interact with the public.

]]> assets/images/2007-myspace-impact.jpg Screenshot from the MySpace.com website. Accessed July 24, 2007 at [http://impact.myspace.com] Material in screenshot is (c) News Corp 2007. MySpace is not affiliated with the North Carolina State Archives, and, therefore, the Archives has no responsibility for its content. News Corporation. "MySpace: Impact" MySpace. http://impact.myspace.com/ (Accessed July 24, 2007). Screenshot.

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