Australian Political Parties' Use of Youtube 2007

Abstract

This article examines the use of the video clip sharing website www.youtube.com by major Australian political parties during the 2007 national election. Set against a background of high expectations for this popular new channel, the article provides empirical data on the form and content of election material posted to the site. based on a content analysis of uploaded content, the article argues that (a) the extent of use of the service by members of the public is limited, a fact that does not change the significance of this form of campaign tool in differentiating parties to the polity; (b) there are considerable differences between the use of the channel by established and emerging parties; and, (c) that the use and sequencing of the release of online content shows higher levels of self-conscious awareness among partisans of the remediative aspects of new media than previously encountered in ICT-related election research in Australia.