The Internet and an Informed Citizenry

A new communications environment, driven largely by the Internet and World Wide Web, is rapidly changing the economic, social, and political landscape. According to recent surveys, nearly seven in ten Americans (68 percent) now use computers at least "occasionally," six in ten (59 percent) have computers in their homes, and more than half (55 percent) have access to the Internet, 43 percent of these from home. Of the 55 percent of Americans who are "wired," more than one-third (36 percent), or 20 percent of the general public, now go online five or more hours per week. These numbers are up significantly from just a few years ago. For example, the number of Americans who say they go online at least occasionally has increased from 21 percent in 1996 to 54 percent in 2000. Comments NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Michael X. Delli Carpini was affiliated with Columbia University. Currently January 2008, he is a faculty member of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. This book chapter is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/asc_papers/2 The Internet and an Informed Citizenry MICHAEL X. DELLI CARPINI AND SCOTT KEETER 9 AiNEW COMMUNICATIONS environment, driven largely by the Internet and World Wide Web, is rapidly changing the ecoomic, social, and political landscape. According to recent surveys, nearly seven in ten Americans (68 percent) now use computers at least "occasionally," six in ten (59 percent) have computers in their homes, and more than half (55 percent) have access to the Internet, 43 percent of these from home. Of the 55 percent ofAmericans who are "wired," more than one-third (36 percent), or 20 percent of the general public, now go online five or more hours per week. These numbers are up significantly from just a few years ago. For example, the number ofAmericans who say they go online at least occasionally has increased from 21 percent in 1996 to 54 percent in 2000.1 Although much of this increased Internet traffic is devoted to work, entertainment, and/or personal consumption, the Web has also become an increasingly important source ofnews (see table 9.1). Onethird of Americans (33 percent) report going online for news at least one day per week, nearly one-fourth (23 percent) at least three days per week, and 15 percent every day. Although the Internet is not yet a predominant news source for campaigns-in February 2000, only 7 percent ofcitizens reported that the Internet was one of their top two sources for campaign news (up from 2 percent in 1996)-nearly onefourth (24 percent) said they "regularly" or "sometimes" learned something about the presidential campaign or candidates from the Internet.2 The civic potential of the Internet is especially strong among younger Americans. For example, one recent survey found that 70 percent of18to 25-year-olds believe the Internet is a "useful" source of political and issue information (compared to 48 percent of those