Pew Survey: "Election 2006 Online"

The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently released their latest study regarding the 2006 election cycle and the effects of the Internet on the voting public.

The survey finds that "The number of Americans who got most of their information about the 2006 campaign on the internet doubled from the most recent mid-term election in 2002 and rivaled the number from the 2004 presidential election year."

Folowing this trend, other key findings include:

*Some 15% of all American adults say the internet was the place where they got most of their campaign news during the election, up from 7% in the mid-term election of 2002.
*A post-election survey shows that the 2006 race also produced a notable class of online political activists. Some 23% of those who used the internet for political purposes – the people we call campaign internet users – actually created or forwarded online original political commentary or politically-related videos.

Berkman Center Executive Director John Palfrey spoke with the San Jose Mercury News about the possible trends that this survey may indicate.  Regarding the survey Palfrey said, "It's not a news flash about younger people, but it underscores the trend away from dependency on television and newspapers."

For more of Prof. Palfrey's thoughts on the survey's findings, you can read the full article.

You can also find the full results of the survey at the Pew Internet and American Life Project site.