Social network and media outlet MySpace and MTV have partnered up to host what they are calling Presidential Candidate Dialogues, broadcast live on MySpace TV and MTV.com. The major function of these broadcasts is to allow a younger, college-aged, demographic to participate in political discourse with actual presidential candidates.
The dialogues are moderated by MTV News correspondents Gideon Yago and Sway Calloway, as well as Washington Post political reporter Chris Cillizza. The moderators are tasked with the job of keeping candidates on their toes by feeding them questions and audience responses.
During the dialogues users are able to respond to polls and submit their own questions to the candidates in real-time via MySpace instant messaging and MTV.com. All of the major candidates, both republican and democrat, have committed to the series, making this a landmark campaign technique and a major media convergence event.
MTV explains in a press release August 28, 2007, “The inaugural MySpace/MTV presidential dialogue [is] the first ever to be broadcast on mobile phones, as well as the first to allow a home audience across the nation to rate the candidate’s answers in real time and submit feedback that [is] used to steer the forum’s direction.”
The real time polling part of the dialogues is powered by a widget created by the Flektor Company, which was acquired by Fox interactive media in May, MTV news staff said. The widget allows users to indicate their approval or disapproval to candidate’s answers to different questions, with real-time results displayed on both the broadcast and the widget.
The first of the dialogues took place on September 27, at the University of New Hampshire featuring democratic candidate John Edwards facing tough questions from students on issues such as education, stem-cell research, and the war in Iraq.
“These presidential dialogues will bring individual candidates directly to voters—one at a time,” co-founder of MySpace Chris DeWolfe said. “We are lowering the barriers to entry, setting a high water-mark for direct engagement between presidential candidates and average Americans.”
The question still remains, however, as to whether or not this new tactic will reach the younger voting public and if this blend of media and technology will raise awareness about key issues. MTV president Christina Norman remains positive. “For years, young people have trusted MTV to inform and engage them on the issues that matter most, from politics to sexual health to the environment. We’re extremely proud to partner with MySpace on our always evolving Choose or Loose campaign,” Norman said.
-Roger
www.myspace.com
http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1567687/20070823/id_0.jhtml
http://www.mtv.com/thinkmtv/chooseorlose/
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070919005492&newsLang=en
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video_log/2007/09/edwards_mtvmyspace_presidentia.html
http://www.coe.edu/aboutcoe/welcome.htm
http://www.unh.edu/president/contact.htm
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/57329.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
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