The Digital Divide and Our New Mayor December 2, 2009
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Reflections.add a comment
Any discussion of the digital divide resonates, because the chasm is a universal issue. Examine any location, from America to Zaire, and we can see that there is a gap between those who have and don’t have access to digital technology. This can refer to computer ownership, access to information online, and the skills necessary to use the technology.
The divide can fall along many lines, including culture, race, age and education. But often the most telling indicator is economic. Those in lower income environments and families are far less likely to be taking advantage of the many wonders of technology.
It’s great to see that Thailand’s government had made bridging the divide a priority. While the article is short on specifics as to how to it’s going to actually fix the problem, it clearly sees the benefit of moving in this direction. I’ll be curious to see what progress has been made in that country since the introduction of this initiative.
Closer to home, the City of Seattle released a report in October that examined how our citizens are using information technology. Among the research findings of note:
- 84 percent of households have Internet service. And 75 percent have broadband or a service that’s faster than dial-up.
- There are disparities along the common lines of income, ethnicity, and education. Ninety percent of Caucasian households are online, while only 45 percent of Hispanic/Latino and 66 percent of African American households do.
- People want to use the tools, but need them to be affordable and accessed in a friendly environment that features training and comfort for all cultures.
During his campaign for mayor, Mike McGinn talked of creating a city-wide wireless system. This was dismissed by some, the feeling being that we’re in pretty good shape now in regard to our options, service and rate of use.
Now that McGinn’s moving into city hall, though, I can see him embracing the results of the technology report and moving forward on expanding and improving service. McGinn, more than any local candidate, understands the power of these online tools, and they were utilized in his campaign organization and strategy. Now he’s out there, preaching the mantra of communicating and working together to make this city better… essentially collective action as a city priority. I even see opportunity to address the digital divide by offering instruction on the basics of citizen media so that people can gain those skills and serve their communities better.
Digital media seems to have a friend in the mayor’s office come 2010. Watching how the city incorporates technology into all of its endeavors will be fascinating.
The Virtual Campaign December 9, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Election, Politics.Tags: campaigns, Internet, websites
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Candidate Use of the Internet in the 2008 Elections
A Report by Jody Chatalas and Katie Hall
The recent elections represented the high point in Internet campaigning, as an online presence was a crucial element in most campaigns. The Obama campaign gets the most publicity, and deservedly so, for its innovative online efforts in fundraising, communicating and organizing. But throughout the entire country the Internet was an important ingredient of political campaigns, from congress to county judge, from the governor’s mansion to the local firehouse.
With this vast diffusion of campaign websites in mind, we’ve examined several local campaign sites to assess how they were used and to what degree of effectiveness. We’ve also spoken to some local politicos to gather further insight into the prevalence of digital tools in campaigns, and what the future may hold in that regard.
The Intersection of News, Politics and Community November 25, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Media, Politics.Tags: Community Networks, News, Newspapers
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If politicians don’t measure very high on the public opinion scale, the press doesn’t stand much taller. Both are roundly criticized by Americans in polls gauging public satisfaction. It’s really no coincidence, though, as the fortunes of both have been intertwined since the early days of our democracy. And the media even inherited its nickname as the Fourth Estate due to its relationship with the three branches of government.
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E-Government: The Election’s Over, Now It’s Time to Govern November 11, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Politics.Tags: digital divide, e-government
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Another big election is in the books. We’ve expended energy following, analyzing and funding candidates and causes. And in the wake of tallying the votes, many are already planning for and looking ahead to the next visit to the polls.
What often gets overlooked in the election aftermath, however, is the actual management of the government. After all, the entire point of getting elected is to run the government.
Similarly, the recent election heralded the prominence of the Internet as a significant tool in the campaigns. Obama’s use of digital media is considered by many to be revolutionary in its approach, engaging and communicating with millions of citizens. But what about the Internet’s role in government? If the wired world is contributing so much to our society, then it must be applicable to the practices within city halls.
Election Night Coverage November 4, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Election, Media, Politics.Tags: 2008 election, Bellweather, Blogs, Media
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Blogs Keeping Up with Big Media Coverage So Far
Popular political blogs Talking Point Memo and Political Wire are being cautious in their tone, but exit polls and numbers from the states where polls have closed are indicating Obama is looking good in crucial state Virginia and close in Indiana. Political Wire says it has lots of numbers, but is taking them with a grain of salt at this point; however, if the numbers are accurate, “battleground states will probably be called much earlier than expected.
Both these sites have great maps where you can zero in on a county to see the tallies as the votes are counted. These rival that which we see by the big media sites like CNN and MSNBC. And as of now, I see nothing on the big guys’ sites that I don’t see on TPM and Political Wire in terms of results and information.
Meanwhile, hardcore liberal blog Daily Kos says Virginia is a done deal for Obama… and not even close. Oops… it just changed… too close to call after all. That’s obviously an overly enthusiastic blog at the moment.
Small Indiana County May Portend National Trend
Vigo County in western Indiana is showing Obama with a 57-42 lead with 80 percent of the votes counted. In 2004, Bush won Vigo 53-46.
Furthermore, Vigo is described as one of the more reliable bellweather counties in the nation. It’s only missed on the president twice since 1892. And its final numbers have proven to be remarkably close to those of the country.
These posts first appeared on November 4, 2008 at the 2008 Digital Democracy Election Blog
Internet Grows Greatly as Source for Campaign News November 4, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Election, Media, Politics.Tags: 2008 election, campaign news, Internet, Media
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Most political enthusiasts will be following the election coverage of various media sources tonight. I, for one, will be checking out blogs and results online, but will also be tuned into the television. As it turns out, I’m not alone.
A just-released study shows that television continues to be the main source of news related to the 2008 campaigns. But the Internet has grown substantially in this regard, pulling ahead of newspapers. The report, by the Pew Research Center, demonstrates that while the use of television and newspapers for campaign news has remained essentially stagnant, the web has shown a significant increase since 2004, from 10 percent to 33 percent.
As we might expect, the growth is in large part due to the younger set. Nearly 50 percent in the 18-29 age range list the Internet as a main resource for such news, and it’s at 37 percent for those age 30-49.
So as we’re turning to television and the web to track election day activity, realize this combination is being increasingly relied upon by a great portion of the country.
Bloggers as a Virtual Political Party October 21, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Media, Politics.1 comment so far
The aftermath of the 2004 elections was painful for democrats. Not only did they fail to unseat an unpopular president, but both houses of congress remained in republican hands. One group in particular faced some soul searching: the liberal blogosphere, the network of online activists using technology to activate the progressive base. Among the left there was optimism that the country would change its course, and bloggers felt their brand of digital activism was a new paradigm for winning political campaigns. Yet in the end the democrats, and bloggers, came up short.
Despite the setbacks, these bloggers, also known as the netroots, were undeterred and continued to move forth with their style of online organizing. At the same time, liberal activists were growing restless with the reluctance of democrats in congress to challenge the Bush administration on the war and other issues. One target of this enmity was Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, whose support of Bush initiatives was clearly at odds with the increasingly vocal progressives. Symbolic of Lieberman’s rightward tilt was the senator’s kiss of President Bush at the 2005 State of the Union address. Progressives, encouraged by bloggers, vowed to challenge Lieberman, and set out to find a candidate to challenge him in the 2006 Connecticut Democratic Party primary.
Campaign Usage of Digital Technologies October 14, 2008
Posted by gjchatalas in Digital Democracy, Media, Politics.2 comments
Assessing technology’s impact on society is a timeworn exercise. Over the last several years the Internet has become an obvious focus of such study amid its growing prominence. Fortunately, examining the convergence of politics and the Internet isn’t overwhelming because it’s both fresh in our memory and the data is more easily accessible. And there is no shortage of analysis on the role digital technology plays in our electoral and governmental processes.
