Electronic Whistle-stops: The Impact Of The Internet On American Politics (praeger Series In Political Communication (paperback))

Fifty years ago, the political whistle-stop tour was thus named because trains blew their whistles twice when making unscheduled stops in backwater towns. Like its distant cousin, the electronic whistle-stop brings the candidate's message directly to the people, but with one outstanding difference: the new whistle-stop offers politicians an accuracy, efficiency, and success at voter persuasian unimaginable to by earlier whistle-stoppers such as Harry Truman. As Selnow shows, American political campaigns have an extraordinary affinity for electronic devices. They have seized upon electronic bulletin boards, home pages, and electronic libraries. Since political campaigns are communication campaigns, Selnow concludes that candidates who successfully inform, persuade, enlighten, and even confuse voters will win votes. Selnow also examines the debate between those who argue that new technologies have improved efficiency and those who believe that the innovations have affected society in other ways. Scholars and students of American political communication must read this book; the lively style will also make it exciting reading for anyone interested in this new political tool. Preliminaries......Page 1 Contents......Page 7 Series Foreword......Page 9 Preface......Page 13 Acknowledgments......Page 17 Introduction......Page 19 Index......Page 0 Preliminaries......Page 21 Contents......Page 27 Series Foreword......Page 29 Preface......Page 33 Acknowledgments......Page 37 Introduction......Page 39 Preliminaries......Page 41 Contents......Page 47 Series Foreword......Page 49 Preface......Page 53 Acknowledgments......Page 57 Introduction......Page 59 Preliminaries......Page 61 Contents......Page 67 Series Foreword......Page 69 Preface......Page 73 Acknowledgments......Page 77 Introduction......Page 79 Preliminaries......Page 81 Contents......Page 87 Series Foreword......Page 89 Preface......Page 93 Acknowledgments......Page 97 Introduction......Page 99 Preliminaries......Page 101 Contents......Page 107 Series Foreword......Page 109 Preface......Page 113 Acknowledgments......Page 117 Introduction......Page 119 Preliminaries......Page 121 Contents......Page 127 Series Foreword......Page 129 Preface......Page 133 Acknowledgments......Page 137 Introduction......Page 139 Preliminaries......Page 141 Contents......Page 147 Series Foreword......Page 149 Preface......Page 153 Acknowledgments......Page 157 Introduction......Page 159 Preliminaries......Page 161 Contents......Page 167 Series Foreword......Page 169 Preface......Page 173 Acknowledgments......Page 177 Introduction......Page 179 Preliminaries......Page 181 Contents......Page 187 Series Foreword......Page 189 Preface......Page 193 Acknowledgments......Page 197 Introduction......Page 199 Preliminaries......Page 201 Contents......Page 207 Series Foreword......Page 209 Preface......Page 213 Acknowledgments......Page 217 Introduction......Page 219 Preliminaries......Page 221 Contents......Page 227 Series Foreword......Page 229 Preface......Page 233 Acknowledgments......Page 237 Introduction......Page 239 Preliminaries......Page 241 Contents......Page 247 Series Foreword......Page 249 Preface......Page 253 Acknowledgments......Page 257 Fifty years ago, the political whistle-stop tour was thus named because trains blew their whistles twice when making unscheduled stops in backwater towns. Like its distant cousin, the __electronic__ whistle-stop brings the candidate's message directly to the people, but with one outstanding difference: the new whistle-stop offers politicians an accuracy, efficiency, and success at voter persuasian unimaginable to by earlier whistle-stoppers such as Harry Truman. As Selnow shows, American political campaigns have an extraordinary affinity for electronic devices. They have seized upon electronic bulletin boards, home pages, and electronic libraries. Since political campaigns are communication campaigns, Selnow concludes that candidates who successfully inform, persuade, enlighten, and even confuse voters will win votes. Selnow also examines the debate between those who argue that new technologies have improved efficiency and those who believe that the innovations have affected society in other ways. Scholars and students of American political communication must read this book; the lively style will also make it exciting reading for anyone interested in this new political tool. Theory : Mass Communication And Its Lessons For The Internet -- Media History And Evolution : New Formats, New Content -- Mainstream Candidates On The Internet -- The Rank And File : New Voices In Political Campaigns -- Experiments On The Web : Information Innovations -- The Use And Impact Of The Internet On Journalism : The Reporters' View -- A Changing Public Agenda And Audience Fragmentation. Gary W. Selnow. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [211]-213) And Index. A lively examination of how the Internet is used in American politics to inform, persuade, enlighten, and even confuse voters.