2008 Elections  For more information: Inauguration Introduction l Transition l Election Process l Presidential Candidates l Campaign Finance Issues l Congressional Elections l Polls l Election Results & Analysis l Media l Statistics

What kind of information materials are available?

Media Covering the Elections • George Washington University: Media - Covering the Campaign • The New York Times -- Politics - News and interactive graphics on political issues, campaigns and finances. • The Washington Post Campaign Tracker - Reports on candidates’ campaign appearances across the country. • The Washington Post -- Politics Elections - News, webchats and blogs about the presidential campaign. • The Washington Post, Primaries map - An interactive map about the state primaries. • Washington Post.com, "The Trail" - A blog about the latest events in the presidential campaign. • ABC News -- Politics - The latest headlines, a blog and video. • CNN Election Center 2008 - Information on the candidates and their views on key issues. • The Cook Political Report - Analysis of local and federal campaigns. • Fox News – You Decide 2008 - Summary of candidates’ positions and links to the latest polls. • MSNBC -- Politics - News and video on the presidential campaign. • The New Republic: Campaign 2008 - A daily blog discussing the campaign. • The Politico, Politics ‘08 - Detailed news and gossip from the campaign trail. • The Hill - News on presidential and congressional politics. • The Washington Times - Election - News and political commentary.   Media The most important role of the media in presidential elections is to objectively observe and report on the positions the candidates take in the election, and ideally as well to report fairly on what the voters view as the most important issues. The Internet - A Powerful Tool in U.S. Politics The Internet is having a great influence on this year's race for President. Internet allows people to learn about candidates faster and is believed to be encouraging young people to think about the presidential campaign. New technologies and their savviest users are leaving their stamp on many U.S. election campaigns — exposing candidate gaffes, boosting fundraising, and reshaping the news cycle. The World Wide Web and the accompanying explosion in "new media" have forced an upheaval in U.S. politics in at least four areas, creating 1) innovative ways to reach voters; 2) a radically changed news system; 3) an unprecedented flood of small donors; and 4) newly empowered interest groups on the left and the right. Read Columbia University Professor Thomas B. Edsall's article on the influence of the new media on U.S. politics. For more please see the article on The New Media and U.S. Politics in the eJournal USA The Long Campaign. See also: About the USA > Government About the USA > Government > Elections About the USA > Regierung About the USA > Regierung > Wahlen

Articles and Interviews • eJournal USA: Covering the Presidential Campaign: The View from the Press Bus - A veteran political journalist shares the inside story of life on the road with a U.S. presidential candidate and discusses the reporter's role in conveying a candidate's message to the American people. • eJournal USA: The New Media and U.S. Politics - New technologies and their savviest users are leaving their stamp on many U.S. election campaigns — exposing candidate gaffes, boosting fundraising, and reshaping the news cycle. • Voice of America : Internet Becomes Powerful Political Tool - While political campaigns in the U.S. have used the Internet since the 1990s, the importance of the Internet has grown dramatically in the current campaign for the White House. VOA looks at how candidates and their parties make strategic use of cyberspace. watch Internet Politics report / Windows broadband - download • National Public Radio: Technology Transforms Youth Vote in 2008 Election - Young people have proven to be an important political force in the 2008 election cycle. Changes in technology are enabling them to get involved in politics in new and interesting ways. Teaching Resources • PBS Lesson Plan: Campaign 2008 - The Role of Technology and the Internet - Students analyze the use of technology in the political and campaign process and examine how this new medium might impact the outcome of the 2008 presidential election. Foreign Press Center Briefings • 2008 Elections: Campaign 101 - FPC Briefing with Mike Allen, Chief Correspondent, Politico Survey • The Internet's Broader Role in Campaign 2008 Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, January 2008: The internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential races. Nearly a quarter of Americans say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in 2004. Moreover, the internet has now become a leading source of campaign news for young people and the role of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook is a notable part of the story. Fully 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly learn about the campaign from the internet, the highest percentage for any news source.

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U.S. Diplomatic Mission to Germany /Public Affairs/ Information Resource Centers  Updated: March 10, 2009