Internet Use and the 2000 Presidential Election

In: Electoral Studies, Band 23, Heft 3, S. 415-429

Abstract

A study of Internet use for news & information during the 2000 elections finds that, although there has been an increase in campaign uses of the Internet, online news consumption continues to be far from a dominant factor in campaign communication. Using a "uses & gratifications" framework, this study demonstrates that both the frequency of online use & the salience of the election information obtained can be explained through the particular uses of online information engaged in by audience members. Novel & interactive forms of online information were particularly important for predicting the frequency with which users accessed the Internet for news & information about elections. Audience members who actively sought information about candidates & issues tended to use the knowledge they gained online to decide how to cast their ballot. 5 Tables, 1 Appendix, 35 References. [Copyright 2003 Elsevier Ltd.]