Who do you keep in touch with most? Who emails you every day or sends you a Facebook message most often? Your best friend? Well sadly enough for me its Barack Obama. Or sometimes Michelle. When I was researching Obama’s education policies for another journalism course I instinctively went to the official Obama website. There, I was asked to join their mailing list. “Sure,” I thought. Couldn’t be any harm, I might even learn a few things. Unfortunately my inbox is now clogged with daily emails from Barack and Michelle.

A press release issued today by the Pew Internet Project highlights the importance of the internet for the 2008 election and especially the Obama campaign. The Pew Internet Project is a non profit “fact tank” that provides information on issues and trends that shape America today. It is a non partisan entity. The release says a record breaking 46 percent of Americans have taken advantage of email alerts and text messages to get their political information before the election. Further, the article suggests Obama supporters have a stronger online presence, than McCain supporters. In a head-to-head match up with internet users who support Republican McCain, Obama’s backers are more likely to get political news and information online (65% vs. 56%). You can read the article through this link http://www.pewinternet.org/press_release.asp?r=303. Even us, students of JOUR 495 are using the internet to keep up-to-date on news, even if it is opinion based. The internet has become a way for people to be personally involved in the election. I sure know that without this blog I wouldn't keep as in touch with election news.

So by signing up for the Obama mailing list, although I was once kept nicely informed, it is now annoying. In fact I don’t even find myself reading them anymore, because I know they will be a PR stunt more than informative. I prefer to stick to newspaper sites rather than rely on Obama to give me bias news...although I don't even know what is truth in the media these days!