Bandit
06-10-2004, 02:06 PM
Greens cotton on to Web's populist power
BY WILLIAM LIN
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM
Sixty million viewers, many huddled with their families around television sets, tuned in to the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates. By winning them, John F. Kennedy went on to become president, illustrating the power of television.
Forty-five years later, the Internet has the potential to become another groundbreaking technology. But, with the June 28 election a little over two weeks away, analysts say Canada's smaller political parties have cottoned on to the possibilities, while the larger ones are ignoring the Internet's full potential.
The Conservatives and Liberals mainly use the Web to communicate with journalists, filling their sites with party announcements, news releases and platforms. The Green Party is the exception, one analyst says. They use the Web to create policy, using grassroots support to funnel their message across without media filters.
"The three (main federal) parties are somewhat clueless when it comes to the true effects of the Internet. They are seen as brochures," said Mark Federman, an information studies professor at the University of Toronto.
"They do not understand it or are afraid to give up the amount of control" over the way policy is formulated, Federman said.
Canadian politics is still in the broadcasting age, Federman said, with television still dominating as it did during the Kennedy years. He says the future will be found online in grassroots support. He cites former Vermont governor Howard Dean and former presidential hopeful as an example.
Dean was the best-funded Democrat at the peak of his presidential campaign, using the Internet to build a base of donors and volunteers. While lacking a national network, Dean developed his Web site to raise his profile, garnering 600,000 supporters and fundraising nearly $50 million, breaking Democratic fundraising records.
"Every individual had access to (Dean's) personal mass medium. His very active weblog spoke to people in a human voice. When people feel engaged, they want to participate."
But Dean pulled out of the presidential race in February, after an over-the-top speech in the Iowa caucus that turned off many voters.
The Liberal and Conservative Web sites use little interaction and "conversation," said the university lecturer who advised the NDP and Green Party on their Web-site direction. The NDP decided not to take his advice, but the Green did.
"It represents the true type of democracy where people actively form policy and are engaged," he said.
Jonathan Rowe, a political communication spe******t at Queen's University, said large-party Web sites are often a "repository for web releases," and do not attract new voters.
"One needs reasons to find Web sites. It doesn't pop up like TV ads. It's a medium one has to actively seek out," he said.
The party Web sites are mainly geared toward the media, established party supporters and political elites, Rowe said.
The Liberal Party, however, does not deny that Dean's method of using the Internet will become the trend.
Deputy National Director Steven MacKinnon said all parties would eventually allow a higher degree of public-input and grassroots interaction on their Web sites.
"Howard Dean was onto something. I think everyone's moving into that direction," MacKinnon said, adding that the Liberal Party Web site, with its seven employees, is already trying to make that shift.
"We try to have a certain level of interactivity and track what people are saying," he said. People can sign up for updates on its site and the media can find instant releases. But he agrees that the Liberal party has not "exploited (the Internet) it to the fullest."
The Conservative Party declined to comment.
It seems smaller parties benefit more from the Internet than larger parties do, said Rowe.
The Green Party, who says it receives nearly half of its campaign funds from its Web site, is an example of this.
"We don't have the resources to hire high-priced ads and commercials to create a propaganda department. There's not much chance to take the approach of big parties," said Neil Adair, who oversees the Web site's operations.
Adair said all its party members can participate in policy-formulation on the site by posting comments, editing certain pages or giving a "thumbs-up-or-down" on a policy platform. Dean's Web site is somewhat similar — relinquishing some control over the party's message to get voters involved.
Canada is behind in using this Internet grassroots approach, Federman said.
"We don't have it quite yet in Canada. But the Green Party understands this phenomenon," he said, adding the party that does "will have the advantage."
NDP spokesperson Brad Lavigne said its Web site, adorned in familiar orange and a large photo of Jack Layton's face, is already interactive. He said its Web site allows people to give feedback and donations, and forwards information to subscribers, adding that privacy is protected to all those who sign up.
But as interactive Web technology and public-input policy formation moves onward, problems do arise, said MacKinnon.
"As a tool, the Internet will continue to dominate political efforts. But one flaw in Mr. Dean's logic is that when you are a leader, you can't always shift policies based on feedback from instant text messages."
BY WILLIAM LIN
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM
Sixty million viewers, many huddled with their families around television sets, tuned in to the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon debates. By winning them, John F. Kennedy went on to become president, illustrating the power of television.
Forty-five years later, the Internet has the potential to become another groundbreaking technology. But, with the June 28 election a little over two weeks away, analysts say Canada's smaller political parties have cottoned on to the possibilities, while the larger ones are ignoring the Internet's full potential.
The Conservatives and Liberals mainly use the Web to communicate with journalists, filling their sites with party announcements, news releases and platforms. The Green Party is the exception, one analyst says. They use the Web to create policy, using grassroots support to funnel their message across without media filters.
"The three (main federal) parties are somewhat clueless when it comes to the true effects of the Internet. They are seen as brochures," said Mark Federman, an information studies professor at the University of Toronto.
"They do not understand it or are afraid to give up the amount of control" over the way policy is formulated, Federman said.
Canadian politics is still in the broadcasting age, Federman said, with television still dominating as it did during the Kennedy years. He says the future will be found online in grassroots support. He cites former Vermont governor Howard Dean and former presidential hopeful as an example.
Dean was the best-funded Democrat at the peak of his presidential campaign, using the Internet to build a base of donors and volunteers. While lacking a national network, Dean developed his Web site to raise his profile, garnering 600,000 supporters and fundraising nearly $50 million, breaking Democratic fundraising records.
"Every individual had access to (Dean's) personal mass medium. His very active weblog spoke to people in a human voice. When people feel engaged, they want to participate."
But Dean pulled out of the presidential race in February, after an over-the-top speech in the Iowa caucus that turned off many voters.
The Liberal and Conservative Web sites use little interaction and "conversation," said the university lecturer who advised the NDP and Green Party on their Web-site direction. The NDP decided not to take his advice, but the Green did.
"It represents the true type of democracy where people actively form policy and are engaged," he said.
Jonathan Rowe, a political communication spe******t at Queen's University, said large-party Web sites are often a "repository for web releases," and do not attract new voters.
"One needs reasons to find Web sites. It doesn't pop up like TV ads. It's a medium one has to actively seek out," he said.
The party Web sites are mainly geared toward the media, established party supporters and political elites, Rowe said.
The Liberal Party, however, does not deny that Dean's method of using the Internet will become the trend.
Deputy National Director Steven MacKinnon said all parties would eventually allow a higher degree of public-input and grassroots interaction on their Web sites.
"Howard Dean was onto something. I think everyone's moving into that direction," MacKinnon said, adding that the Liberal Party Web site, with its seven employees, is already trying to make that shift.
"We try to have a certain level of interactivity and track what people are saying," he said. People can sign up for updates on its site and the media can find instant releases. But he agrees that the Liberal party has not "exploited (the Internet) it to the fullest."
The Conservative Party declined to comment.
It seems smaller parties benefit more from the Internet than larger parties do, said Rowe.
The Green Party, who says it receives nearly half of its campaign funds from its Web site, is an example of this.
"We don't have the resources to hire high-priced ads and commercials to create a propaganda department. There's not much chance to take the approach of big parties," said Neil Adair, who oversees the Web site's operations.
Adair said all its party members can participate in policy-formulation on the site by posting comments, editing certain pages or giving a "thumbs-up-or-down" on a policy platform. Dean's Web site is somewhat similar — relinquishing some control over the party's message to get voters involved.
Canada is behind in using this Internet grassroots approach, Federman said.
"We don't have it quite yet in Canada. But the Green Party understands this phenomenon," he said, adding the party that does "will have the advantage."
NDP spokesperson Brad Lavigne said its Web site, adorned in familiar orange and a large photo of Jack Layton's face, is already interactive. He said its Web site allows people to give feedback and donations, and forwards information to subscribers, adding that privacy is protected to all those who sign up.
But as interactive Web technology and public-input policy formation moves onward, problems do arise, said MacKinnon.
"As a tool, the Internet will continue to dominate political efforts. But one flaw in Mr. Dean's logic is that when you are a leader, you can't always shift policies based on feedback from instant text messages."