University of Bedfordshire, UK

Media Usage for Political Campaigning Based on the US Presidential Election 2008 and its Implications on PR

This study wants to examine the usage of different media by US voters for gathering political information. Based on the results of a online survey, conducted amongst US voters, the influence of different media is measured on
a) the process of making a voting decision
and b) activating people to actively participate to a campaign.
Finally the results will be used to identify how the media use influences the requirements of good Public Relation Campaigns. Special emphasis will be put on the question whether or not the on-line tools summed up as 'Social Media' have changed voters expectations on a campaign.