Politics and the New Media

How about a positive look into the future of politics in America?  I wrote in my first post that many of us are disenfranchised and feel helpless to change the way things are run in Washington, so how are things ever going to change?

We aren’t there yet, but the “new media”, including a tiny bit by blogs like this, will be an ever increasing factor in the way we elect people in this country.  Here is a link that includes some startling numbers that predict $1 billion will be spent on the presidential campaign over the next two years.  I’m not a proponent of campaign finance reform, but these type of numbers essentially eliminate everyone except those with money, power and influence in either the Democrat or Republican party.  Kind of lays to rest the whole notion of a government “for the people and by the people” doesn’t it?

So lets look at some of the ways technology and the “new media” will change this.

• DVRs and other alternative methods of watching television shows mean less people will be watching these expensive political adds.  I know I managed to skip past most of them this past October and November.  
• Blogs are bringing more information and opinions to the masses.  The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Associated Press, and Reuters won’t have so much control over the political information I read.  If there is a story in say…Reno Nevada regarding Harry Reid for example I don’t have to rely on the New York Times to report it.  Chances are I will be able to find the story from a local newspaper online, that some blogger linked to.
• The Internet in general makes it easier to find errors in stories and alternate points of views.  Bloggers have exposed over and over photoshopped media stories, inaccurate news reports, and lies in political campaigns.  You can’t just say something and get away with it anymore…speaking of which…
• The Internet is allowing video and audio to find its way to the masses much easier than before.  You don’t have to take your tape to the news outlet and hope it get run on the nightly news.  Nope, you just go online and download it for the world to see.  Macaca anyone?

I’m just scratching the surface with these examples and the modes of communication just keep changing every day.  It is hard to keep up with it all.  Just think what the political landscape will be like when more and more people start catching on to how the new media operates and what it is all about.  I read a recent study that showed only about 27% percent of Americans read blogs.  That will change, and so will politics.

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