Public Opinion in the Internet Age

Abstract

The communication of information is foundational to politics and particularly to the formation of political attitudes and opinions. The Internet represents an addition to the traditional media menu of newspapers, radio and television, offering space with alternative modalities of information creation, consumption and exchange. The borderless nature of the internet allows for information to flow without the limits of national news media, while its structure allows for considerably greater fragmentation of content creation than in any previous medium. Thus, the web differs dramatically from traditional media in terms of both the nature of political information available and the manner in which individuals can interact with that information. Citizens, when using the Internet as a source of political information, are exposed to an unprecedented volume of news, opinions and views that transcend national traditional commentators. In the light of these developments, this panel seeks to bring together contributions on the topic of public opinion in the Internet age. In particular, we welcome empirically-oriented submissions evaluating whether and how the Internet interacts with traditional media in influencing citizens’ opinions regarding political institutions (at the national and supranational levels); political actors (including parties, candidates and office holders); and political issues (including referendum debates). Methodologically sophisticated and causally-oriented papers making innovative use of observational data as well as papers employing experimental and quasi-experimental designs are particularly welcome.

Title	Details
Loved by Politicians; Irrelevant at the Ballot Box? The Rise of Social Media and its Impact on Preference Voting in the Dutch General Elections of 2010 and 2012	View Paper Details
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"The most Preferable and Trusted Supplier of Political News Is..." Political Competence and Internet News Sources: Is there Love? Cases of Austria, Italy and the Netherlands	View Paper Details
The Production of Journalistic News from Online Voter Advice Applications’ Data: Reporting about Public Opinion in France, the Netherlands, and Turkey	View Paper Details