More niches, more political knowledge

I've found some really interesting information thus far. One article compares online communities to political campaigns.

She says we can learn a lot from successful political campaigns: Know your base. Understand your key constituents: their age, where they shop, how many kids they have, etc. Tailor your content and site functions to meet their daily needs for information and sharing. Don't alienate this group. Stay "on message."

Another source discussed "viral journalism," -- when stories spread online before they reach the mainstream media, causing the dissemination of largely unfiltered information.

"Viral journalism shapes people's political views because it gives them access to stories not found in the main-stream. YouTube is a powerful tool. Videos by the candidates show people different aspects about the candidate," said NPR host Michele Norris.

A third source asserts that changing media are offering different types of political content than they have in the past. The emergence of more journalistic niches is prompting more narrowly targeted news coverage, the authors suggest. This allows for more widespread political engagement. In addition, the piece stressed the need for the political "old guard" to adapt, or be left in the dust of newcomers. "The advent of new media also changes the rules of the game by which politics are played," the article reads.

I also think the split between "earned" and "paid" media will require significant consideration. I'll be looking into this subject more in the future.

-Caitlyn