Wired politics for a hard-wired public

More and more politicians discover the tools of Web 2.0 for campaigning

 
Information and communications technology (ICT) has revolutionised public communication at a range of levels. While commercial brands have been quick to exploit the potential of a range of interactive and social media tools, electoral political organisations and candidates, until recently, have suggested that the effort, lack of reach, and risk involved had acted as a deterrent for focusing on using ICT as a communication tool. However, since Howard Dean’s successful use of the internet as a fundraising tool during the 2004 US primaries, and in recognition that a critical mass of the populations in most modern, industrial democracies has access to the internet, there has been a marked shift in attitude towards the use of ICT.

Darren Lilleker

Dr Darren G. Lilleker is head of the Centre for Politics and Media Research and Associate Professor at Bournemouth University. Dr Lilleker’s interests are in political communication, with particular focus on the use of digital environments and the impact upon citizen engagement. The breadth of his work is exemplified in the recent works Political Communication and Cognition (Palgrave 2014) and Political Marketing and the 2015 UK General Election (Palgrave, 2016) as well as studies of recent elections and co-editing the analysis of the #Rezist movement.