Can Information Technology Energize Voters? Experimental Evidence from the 2000 and 2002 Campaigns

Media-based campaigns have failed to engage the electorate. Few people find political campaigns interesting, nonvoters typically outnumber voters, and public evaluations of candidates, the press, and the political process itself are far from sympathetic (Popkin and McDonald, 2000; Patterson, 2000; Cook et al., 2000). This disconnect between modern campaigns and their intended audience can be traced to several factors, including the professional culture of journalism, competitive market pressures, and the inherent conflict between candidates and reporters (Patterson, 2002; Zaller, 2003). In keeping with their professional aspirations, journalists preserve their own autonomy by refusing to broadcast and/or critiquing the scripted and often manipulative aspects of candidate behavior. But the preservation of journalistic independence inevitably heightens public distrust of the candidates and spawns generalized cynicism about the electoral process (Patterson, 2002; Cappella and Jamieson, 1997). Compounding the built-in conflict between candidates and the press, news organizations respond to market pressures by gravitating to the more “entertaining” facets of the campaign, while neglecting systematic coverage of the candidates’ positions and track records (Kalb, 1998; Iyengar, Norpoth and Hahn, 2003). The overall result is an excess of negative, non-substantive news coverage, providing virtually no opportunities for voters to encounter the candidates in their own voices. It is no wonder that the electorate is estranged.