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Political Science Blogs And The Term Paper

What will that lead to in future politicians? Will they conduct their entire campaigns online, with no need to reach out to real people on the campaign trail? That remains to be seen, but the technology of the Internet, and all it implies, is changing how we view political news and reporting, and it certainly could change the face of actual campaigns in the future, and that has implications for our society in general. Change is not always bad, and it can bring about necessary reform and legislation, and it is quite clear blogging is bringing about great change in how we get our political information. How that affects our society and us in the future remains to be seen, but it is certain that blogging, political campaigns, and the importance of valid information will all continue to be issues in the future. How can candidates use blogs effectively in the 2008 campaign? As writer Rice continues, "Blogs create a new communication dimension by giving a candidate their own a virtual and interactive community and giving candidates an instant forum using unfiltered communications to share their views" (Rice 3). Many of the candidates, however, leave the blogging to assistants or even professional bloggers, so their message is always at the forefront of the blog. While it may not be convenient or even plausible, it seems that candidates who did their own blogging would be welcomed by most voters, and that could make quite a difference in the popularity and buzz their blogs created. As it is now, most of the candidate blogs are done by PR or other writers, and they all tend to sound alike as they applaud their specific candidates and who is endorsing them now. This would of course change the way our culture views presidential candidates and presidents themselves. Seeing the actual words and thoughts of a presidential candidate may be too risky for the candidate, but it might give more confidence to many voters, and bring the president back to being more of a representative of "real" America rather than corporate and high-handed politics.

In conclusion, it is a fair conclusion that blogs will

As more people continue to get their news and information online, more people will continue to rely on political blogs for their news, information, and choices about political candidates. However, relying too heavily on undocumented or biased blogs can hurt the integrity of the entire blogging community, and give faulty information as well. If Americans are going to rely on blogs for their political information, they should learn how to identify and rate the credibility of the blogs they read. They should also learn to question the motives of bloggers and their opinions. Not all bloggers are motivated by political interest and neutrality. Some, in fact, are purely motivated by their own agendas, while others are purposely biased or hateful simply to arouse indignation and anger in others. If our culture is going to rely so much on Internet news and sources, our society should stop trusting everything it reads online, and learn to question their Internet choices and information sources. Americans need to be more discerning, and grasp when a Blogger is simply inflaming an issue to generate their own buzz. As a culture, we have certainly changed our news viewing habits because of technology, and as a society, we have to learn when to give online sources credibility, and when to steer clear of inflammatory and false Web sites, as well.
References

Cornfield, Michael. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004." Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2005. 17 Oct. 2007. http://www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com/files/uploaded/whitepapers/BMwp_BZMPew_BlogsBuzzBynd.pdf

Froomkin, a. Michael. "Chapter 1 Technologies for Democracy." Democracy Online: The Prospects for Political Renewal through the Internet. Ed. Peter M. Shane. New York: Routledge, 2004. 3-20.

Miller, Nora. "Anti-Spin: Using Internet Resources to Unwind Political Claims." ETC.: A Review of General Semantics 62.1 (2005): 76+.

McPherson, Miller, and Smith-Lovin, Lynn. "Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades." American Sociological Review. 2006. 17 Oct. 2007. http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/June06ASRFeature.pdf

Smolkin, Rachel. "Lesson Learned: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Election Night Coverage." American Journalism Review Dec. 2004: 44+.

Rice, Alexis. "The Use of Blogs in the 2004 Presidential Election." Johns Hopkins University

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References

Cornfield, Michael. "Buzz, Blogs, and Beyond: The Internet and the National Discourse in the Fall of 2004." Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2005. 17 Oct. 2007. http://www.nielsenbuzzmetrics.com/files/uploaded/whitepapers/BMwp_BZMPew_BlogsBuzzBynd.pdf

Froomkin, a. Michael. "Chapter 1 Technologies for Democracy." Democracy Online: The Prospects for Political Renewal through the Internet. Ed. Peter M. Shane. New York: Routledge, 2004. 3-20.

Miller, Nora. "Anti-Spin: Using Internet Resources to Unwind Political Claims." ETC.: A Review of General Semantics 62.1 (2005): 76+.

McPherson, Miller, and Smith-Lovin, Lynn. "Social Isolation in America: Changes in Core Discussion Networks over Two Decades." American Sociological Review. 2006. 17 Oct. 2007. http://www.asanet.org/galleries/default-file/June06ASRFeature.pdf
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