School of Social and Political Sciences - Research Publications

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11343/386

Filters

2002 - 2004 2
2
1 1
Reset filters

Settings
Statistics
Citations
Subject: Australia × Subject: Internet × Start date: 1999 ×

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    e-lection 2004? New media and the campaign
    CHEN, PETER ( 2004)
    This paper explores the use of new media technologies, such as the Internet, in the Australian federal election campaign of 2004. With indications of a closely-contested campaign dominating media coverage in the lead up to October 9, normal assumptions of campaign strategies would call for the use of the full range of campaigning techniques to pry open pockets of support in key marginal seats. Internationally, new media technologies have become increasingly important in political campaigning, both as a tool for direct communication between partisans and electors, and as a particularly powerful method of networking together people, money, and issues. Based on research conducted on parties, candidates, and non-party activists, this paper argues that the use of new technologies in the Australian electoral environment remains limited and, in some aspects, has declined from the previous electoral cycle. This can be attributed to a number of factors: fundamental difficulties in aligning new communications channels to Australia's political geography, low perceptions of the efficacy of new technologies in shifting electors' voting intentions, and the failure by organised political parties to systematically resource and strategise new media technologies within their conventional communications and campaigning strategies. Overall, while a number of interesting campaigning innovations were observed and individual candidates had a greater online presence in this electoral cycle, innovation in the use of new technologies for political purposes has remained relatively low compared with comparative jurisdictions.
  • Item
    Thumbnail Image
    Australian Elected Representatives' Use of New Media Technologies 2002
    CHEN, PETER (Centre for Public Policy, University Of Melbourne, 2002-06)
    This document is based on a survey of Australian elected representatives undertaken during the first half of 2002. The aims of the research were to examine the use of, and interest in, new media technologies, such as the Internet, by Australia's elected officials across four levels of government: Commonwealth, State and Territory parliamentarians, Local Government councillors, and councillors of the Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander Commission.