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Political Sites Target Young Voters

The Internet-savvy rely on mixed media, including chat and Webcams, for political reports.

By Mark Fitzgerald, PCWorld   

A recent poll by Medill News Service finds that voters 18 to 24 years old still rely on TV and newspapers for political information, but as part of a media mix that includes talk shows and, increasingly, the Internet.

Cliff Angelo, Webmaster of the recently revamped Georgewbush.com, says the site's new look is targeted to young people, and has led to an increase in traffic and donations.

"Nothing on the site looks political," he says. "That catches the eye of the young public."

Interactivity is a priority for attracting young adults, says Joe Rodota, vice president of strategic development at Broad Daylight, a tool developer. Its applications, seen in action on the Republican National Committee site, facilitate forums and help target content.

"We're finding that today's youth want to drive conversations and seek a more personal experience on the Web," Rodota says. "Increased voter turnout, especially young people, will parallel deeper and richer content [on political Web sites]."

Political sites must offer organized, convenient information to keep people interested, he says.

"The audience is able to walk away from a site, so you have to be credible," Rodota says.

Interactivity Draws Interest

Also making noise in the online political arena is Pseudo.com, where you can produce your own convention coverage. You can control its five 360-degree cameras on the convention floor, hear six separate audio feeds, or chat with politicians and celebrities.

"Judging by the subject matter of the questions in the chat room, I'd say it's mostly young people," says Gersh Kuntzman, Pseudo.com's editorial director of politics. "We give people the interactivity they want."

If you want to become more involved with the political process, the official 2000 Republican National Convention site lets you go behind the scenes as a "virtual delegate." Live chat with GOP leaders and access to exclusive interviews has attracted more than 7500 participants.

Tina Murrow, assistant online editor for FreedomChannel.com, says technology is trickling down to the gubernatorial level. Its video-on-demand technology offers 90-second recordings of two candidates "head-to-head" on screen.

"It's a gift to the voters of America," she says. "It's free and it allows you to find out exactly what a candidate says about different issues."

The site offers audio and video footage of gubernatorial, House, Senate, and presidential candidates. All clips use streaming technology at several download rates.

Although the Internet has potential to become a great resource for political information, Pseudo.com's Kuntzman urges caution.

"We may be energizing [the audience] a bit more, but by no means are we re-enchanting them [into politics]," he says. "Pseudo is very good at what it does, but it is limited in what it can become. We're not here to replace any traditional media for political coverage."