Communication Studies Analysis of the Obama Campaign and the Use of Social Media

1. REINVENTING DEMOCRACY Obama Campaign 2008: New Communication Media and How It Is Changing Politics

2. INTRODUCTION Mood of Campaign 2008 Variety of feelings Most prevalent: Disconnect from the democratic process How was that addressed? Use of new, more appealing and effective media (WEB 2.0) Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter, E-Mail, Text Messaging

3. Source: 2008 National Election Pool, National Exit Poll4 An estimated 23 million young Americans under the age of 30 voted in the 2008 presidential election, an increase of 3.4 million compared with 2004.

4. FOCUS Barack Obama’s Campaign Methods Specifically the use of new media technology Analyze how it effected and encouraged voter awareness and participation using communication theory

5. PREVIEW Summary of Research and Sources Communication Theories Used to Analyze Campaign Methods Uses & Gratifications Theory Media Ecology Theory Broad Application to Obama Campaign Few Key Terms to substantiate claims Limits of Research Conclusion of Findings

6. RESEARCH & SOURCES 3 Main Types Personal Research Article on WEB 2.0 Terminology Evolution of Social Networking Sites Analyzed campaign methods Quantitative Analysis # YouTube Videos on Obama’s Feed Qualitative Analysis Hiring of Chris Hughes – Founder of Facebook Triangulation Facebook hit 120 million users in October up from 100 million in August Credits political process with increase

7. RESEARCH & SOURCES 2 Books analyzing power new media has on society Here Comes Everybody “Our age’s new technologies of social networking are evolving, and evolving us, into new groups doing new things in new ways, and old and new groups alike doing the old things better and more easily.” republic.com How do people act as Citizens vs. Consumers Political Process gives desire to fulfill ideals but mainstreaming of traditional politics has forced a more consumerist view. “Social Networking Sites harness the tendency for people to express aspirational or altruistic goals more often in political behavior.”

8. USES & GRATIFICATIONS Active Audiences use media to fulfill goals and decide which medium will fulfill their needs Media compete with other sources What are some examples within new media? Focus: What will people do with that media What things do you use on the internet to fulfill certain needs?

9. Social Networking Sites Hired a founder of Facebook Chris Hughes http://www.facebook.com/barackobama?v=info&viewas=0 http://www.myspace.com/barackobama MoveOn.org, Twitter, apple applications Use of e-mail and text messaging to spread message Text and E-Mail Founded on February 20th 2005 Founded on February 20th 2005 http://www.youtube.com/barackobama

10. USES & GRATIFICATIONS

11. KEY TERMS Para-Social Interaction The relationship we feel we have with people we know only through the media Our relationship with political figures is typically very distant. Ability to lessen that distance made very easy with Social Networking Sites, YouTube, and Twitter Some figures are more popular than others

14. KEY TERMS Utility & Intentionality Utility – Using the media to accomplish a task Intentionality – People’s prior motive determine media use Undermines person’s prior use and motive but gives potential for selectivity to occur. Fraction of Selection Media is selected by the expectation of reward divided by the effort required Expectation of Reward Effort Required

15. MEDIA ECOLOGY THEORY We have a symbiotic relationship with mediated technology; we create technology, and in turn recreates who we are Society cannot escape the influence of technology and that technology will remain central to virtually all walks of life. Apparent with television, radio, and telecommunications. Boom in New Media Presence in Politics Started to be used by 2004 Democratic Presidential Candidate Howard Dean Potential not fully realized yet

16. KEY TERMS Medium as the Message The content of a mediated message is secondary to the medium (or communication channel) The medium has the ability to change how we think about others Take Facebook as an example Obama has Facebook = Obama is cool “he’s reaching out to me in a way I regularly communicate” Same can apply to other mediums utilized Text messaging Sent notifications of VP Selection These people were the 1st to find out and made them feel special

17. KEY TERMS LAWS OF MEDIA Technology affects communication through new technology, the impact of new technology affects society, and the changes in society cause further changes in technology 4 LAWS Enhancement – What does the medium enhance or amplify? Accessibility of Information and means to discuss Obsolence– What does the medium push aside or make obsolete? Traditional television must reshape what they report Retrieval – What does this medium retrieve from the past? Restores community and discussion lost to other media Reversal – When pushed to its limits, what does the medium reverse or flip into? At current potential it has changed from pure information (Web 1.0) to a means to collaborate and discuss issues (Web2.0) and more.

18. EXPANSIONS TO RESEARCH Look at how other candidates used this more. How were their efforts accepted? Underlying Sexism, Ageism, Racism? Positive or Negative Is what he did easy to replicate? Can and will other candidates use the same methods? Becoming a norm? Dangers of Web 2.0 Could it allow people to misinterpret or avoid information How will he continue as president? Are there any that you have for me?

20. Variety of feelings

21. Most prevalent:

22. Disconnect from the democratic process

23. Summary of Research and Sources

24. Analyzed the Obama campaign’s use of new media technology

25. How it effected and encouraged voter awareness and participation using communication theory

26. Uses & Gratifications Theory

27. Media Ecology Theory

28. Collaborated on Possible Expansions