Campaign Sites as Information Centers
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Candidate Web sites provided a variety of types
of information to site visitors, including those
frequently found in printed campaign brochures
as well as those unlikely to be readily available
in print or widely distributed.
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Brochure-ware on campaign sites
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| The vast majority of
candidates provided information such as biographies
and issue statements – what others have termed “brochure-ware”
– on their Web sites during the 2002 campaign. These
types of information have regularly been available
in print form as part of traditional campaign materials.
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Beyond brochure-ware
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| The
Web provided opportunities for candidate sites to
move beyond brochure-ware, and provide additional
types of information that was likely to be cost
prohibitive to print and distribute. 50% of campaign
web sites took advantage of the capcity of the Web
to provide two or more types of information such
as news releases, speeches, photos, voter registration
information and endorsements.
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| High intensity races
|
 56%
of candidates in high intensity races feature
a candidate biography, issue positions, and two
or more additional types of information on their
Web sites. In comparison, only 41%
of candidates in low intensity races provided these
types of information.
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| Major party candidates
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| 58%
of campaign sites by major party candidates offered
two or more types of information, compared to 21%
of sites by third party candidates.
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| Incumbent candidates
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| 61%
of incumbents’ web sites included at least two of
these types of information: news releases, speeches,
endorsements, or voter registration information.
In comparison 46%
of challengers provided these
types of information. |
