Just in case you needed further evidence that presidential hopefuls are employing that burgeoning area of message distribution, social media—aka, everything on the Internet including social networks, blogs, and websites— just search for the Will.I.Am and Obama music video, “Yes We Can,” on Youtube.
But is the Internet simply a new way of communicating the old message, or are they changing the nature of our politics? That was the topic for discussion at “The Permanent Campaign: The Impact of Technology on Politics,” held at the MaRS building on Tuesday afternoon. Speakers included U of T alum and CBC industry analyst Jesse Hirsh, Dr. Greg Elmer, Ryerson professor and director of the Infoscape Research Lab, and Andrew Coyne, national editor at Maclean’s magazine.
A permanent campaign is one that continues off TV screens and away from public appearances, running around the clock through media such as the Internet. The idea of the permanent campaign is nothing new: though first defined by Jimmy Carter’s advisor Patrick Caddell, it has been around for 200 years.
But, added the conference’s experts, in the political climate of the information age—with its expanded cultural politics, easier transnational travel, increased competition within TV media itself, and the development of social media—the permanent campaign is a must. This kind of marketing requires a large number of decidedly partisan staff and volunteers, usually taking the form of extremely opinionated bloggers. This may be where the Internet has changed politics the most: blogs have become an important part of the election process to influence political writers in more traditional newsmedia.
Perhaps the turn to web-based campaigning is a rehash of a simpler time when people would have known their candidates through face-to-face meetings. Although Internet campaigning and social media is still small in its influence compared to television and public appearances, social media is an area in which uncensored opinions can be divulged and people can contest a statement publicly without regard to political correctness. In this way, the biases that would have been imposed through television and newspapers can be removed. Videos on Youtube and Facebook profiles might seem to divulge more about the personality of each candidate. Social media may change what it means for a candidate to win office based on reputation.
