Best new media

My last post focused heavily on YouTube so what I'm going say next may come as a surprise to some: Facebook was the most effective new communication tool during the 2008 elections. Though YouTube can be a tool for sensational journalism it doesn't bring home the bacon for the candidates like Facebook. Sara Calderon, a beat writer for insidefacebook.com noted “Although social media alone doesn’t win elections, platforms like Facebook have increasingly become an integral part of getting out the word about candidates around the world, and while Facebook fans may not translate directly to votes, there does seem to be at least some correlation." This was exemplified in the election of Scott Brown of Massachusetts who managed to win Ted Kennedy seat after his untimely. Kennedy was a notorious liberal, and the political pendulum leans to the left in Massachusetts. The Tea Party used Facebook to rally support for Mr. Brown, donations were flowing in from all over the country. Brown had more followers on Twitter by almost three to one, and five times the number of Facebook fans. Calderon went so far as crediting Facebook for helping Barack win the 2008 presidential election as she state “Barack Obama’s election marked a turning point in electoral politics as the previously unseen use of social media such as Facebook was utilized not only to raise funds, but to organize and implement a campaign strategy that translated into a movement in the offline world, and most importantly, votes.” I wouldn’t go that far. I think the perceive moment (if there was one) had a lot more to do with his rhetoric than Facebook. The percentage of eligible 18-24 olds exercising their right to vote grew just one percent between 2004 and 2008. It’s all about the money, and Facebook right now is king when it comes to digging in the pockets of the American people (unless you're one of the 535 members of congress).