Parliamentary Candidates Running on the Web for the 2004 Greek National Elections

Abstract

ABSTRACT Unlike other media, the Internet is the most democratic medium of political marketing, offering equality to all political candidates irrespective of their finances, their political power, and their political careers. This study investigates Web use by candidates during their campaign in the 2004 Greek national elections. The use of the Web by candidates is explored according to a number of factors such as political affiliation, geographical region, gender, and political experience of candidates. In addition, the use of the Web is investigated via a content analysis of the candidates' Web pages. This study shows that Web use is related to political experience. Although more politicians are using the Web, limited use of interactivity and multimedia techniques reveals that Web candidates have not taken advantage of the Internet's potential as a political marketing tool.