Running Head: DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY IN OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN

Digital Media Literacy’s Effects in Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign

Brittany E. Philip

Queens University of Charlotte

Abstract

The importance of understanding how to use social media in a political campaign is increasing.

Heightened digital media literacy will enhance the affect the media has and give a desirable

result for candidates. The examination of the 2008 Presidential election campaign of President

Obama – specifically social media, and Twitter use – will prove its significance. Sanjay and

Shabazz’s research suggest there was a significant change in the youth votes due to social media.

Methods of campaigning are changing, and according to Phillips’ research, social media can

reach many people and is very different than traditional campaign methods. Obama’s 2008

campaign is evidence that social media is dominant if used correctly, and will be a crucial

element in future elections.

Keywords: Digital Media Literacy, Twitter, Social Media, Campaign, Obama

Digital Media Literacy’s Affects in Obama’s 2008 Presidential Campaign

The 2008 presidential election was one of many firsts. In the primaries, the first African

American was running for office, the first female was running for office, and social media had a

significant impact on the candidate’s votes. For the then-Senator, Barack Obama, the use of

social media was of great significance. “The Obama campaign is being heralded as the first big-

time political campaign that successfully used social networking and digital media to win an

election” (Cash, 2009). His campaigning party used it well, and it benefitted him in the long run.

He had an advanced digital media literacy. Obama changed the way campaigning will be done in

the future due to his success in the 2008 presidential election.

The term Digital Media Literacy is best defined as the ability to “‘read’ and understand

visual, aural and digital messages. Having the skills to understand and interact with the media

analytically, critically and knowledgeably” (Lee, 2005). In a political aspect, digital media can

be looked at a little differently, as “ [relying] on interactivity and interconnectivity, and often

results in a whole bigger than the sum of the parts” (Sanjay, 2008). Obama did this by paying

attention to all aspects of his message and using all avenues correctly. By doing this, one can

create messages, and as Obama did, critically use social media (especially Twitter) to his

advantage to reach the U.S. citizens constructively, that his opponents were not.

The Change in Youth Votes From 2004 to 2008 to Favor One Candidate

One of the main groups of people Barack Obama relayed his message to well in 2008,

were the youth (voters aged 18-29(Dahl, 2008)). Associate Professor and head of the school of

information technologies at Sydney University in Australia, Sanjay Chawla, stated that, in 2004,

“youth votes were split fairly even between candidates John Kerry and George W. Bush” (2008).

In 2008, the youth vote switched heavily to vote in Obama’s favor, and “preferred Obama over
DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY IN OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN 4

John McCain by 68 percent to 30 percent — the highest share of the youth vote obtained by any

candidate since exit polls began reporting results by age in 1976” (Dahl, 2008). The idea that

media would have such a significant role in campaigning was not new to Obama. He used it

well, while Senator John McCain’s campaign lacked in these skills. The Obama campaign’s use

of “new media tools helped build a strong fundraising machine, register voters, and increase the

youth voting bloc” (Shabazz, 2008). The world of media is changing, but more importantly, how

one recieves information, along with the speed of information is changing even faster. Obama’s

campaign staff recognized this, and his “victory was perhaps due more to the technology of his

campaign rather than just a triumph of political ideas,” (2008) especially when it came down to

the youth population who voted (Sanjay). More youth are engaged in politics and “if you want to

get [them] civically engaged you can no longer simply call a protest rally. Today you send a text

message” (Shabazz, 2008). The change is due to social media. Sanjay states that, “Not many 18,

or even 22 year olds cared about the mortgage crisis” (2008). Due to technology changing in the

last few years, many youth voters were not tuning in to television talk shows to hear Obama

speak on behalf of these crisis; however, they will read a “quick tweet about his newly chosen

vice presidential candidate – who he announced via Twitter” (Sanjay, 2008). This evidence

proves that candidates need to pay attention to where they post messages because it becomes a

crucial factor in whether the targeted audience will hear or see their message.

Many people do not get their news by television anymore. They receive it online, and

the youth populations especially use it to receive their information. Rashid K. Shabazz wrote in

“The Youth Media Reporter”, in issue 5, when the campaign was in process and someone were

to ask what came to mind when they heard “the name Barack Obama they say two words: Hope

and Change” (2008). If it (your message) is online, in a recognizable place, it will be seen and
DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY IN OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN 5

remembered. The reason people knew his message was because it was everywhere, repeatedly, in

areas of high volume.

Methods of Campaigning Have Changed

As social medias become more prevalent in today’s world, the importance of using them

correctly becomes the more important piece of the equation. Anyone who is selling an item, or

selling their image and ideas (like Obama was), has a tool to stay ahead of the game. Greg

Phillips, a news reporter for the Dothan Eagle stated in “Politics Have Entered the Technology

age,” the impact social media can have on people is overwhelming, and can occur faster and is

“effective at reaching a wide range of voters, and cheaper than traditional methods” (2009).

Twitter is the newest way for candidates to have an impact while campaigning. Twitter is a

social media and “an online micro blogging site. You can [tweet] through a mobile phone or

webpage and a whole community of followers follow your message online” (Sanjay, 2008). This

is a new way to communicate in the new world of media. In political campaigns previous to

2004, social media outlets did not play a big role. Television and politician web sites dominated.

Now, according to a January study released by Ohio State University, “nearly 67 percent of

Americans used online media for campaign information last year” (Phillips, 2009). There is now

a large enough market to spill ideas to, and know that people hear, or see the message.

Chris Cobb, a senior writer at the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, who specializes in reporting

on media and government communication, and writes for the Public Relations Society of

America stated that Obama primarily used online media “as a fundraising and organizing tool.

Obama was able to organize nearly 1,000 phone banking events in the final week of the

campaign and 150,000 other events throughout the course of campaigning” (2008). These events

would not have been at the scale they were unless social media played a part. Social media is
DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY IN OBAMA’S CAMPAIGN 6

how politicians say they got “a lot of younger folks, because that's how they find out about their

candidates. If you're [going to] be a candidate in today's world, you better have the technology

that goes with it" (Phillips, 2009). According to Shiffman, John McCain only received a 9% web

site visitor market share, while Obama received a 65% market share. Obama also had 1-4 million

you tube hits, and McCain was left with only 200-300,000 (2008). Obama beat John McCain in

number online, which led him to beat McCain in the polls as well.

Obama’s campaign represents the change in how information is delivered. Denise

Shiffman, author of "The Age of Engage: Reinventing Marketing for Today's Connected,

Collaborative, and Hyperinteractive Culture." wrote in Advertising Age that elections have

changed, and “rallies, debates and broadcast advertising-traditional campaign-push marketing

vehicles-are becoming less effective at engaging the masses” (2008). Obama used the old

strategies, but Twitter was his new way to reach the masses, and sway people to his side.

Shiffman also stated that “a provocative and poignant new-media strategy can elevate a

candidate's position.” (2008) – like Obama’s Twitter use.

Did Obama win Because of his Message?

Although Obama was the first Presidential Candidate to master Twitter, the message he

was creating had a dramatic influence on the American people which lead to many reasons he

has been so successful. Scott Goodstein is “most reverential in his effort to point out that it

wasn't the medium that won the 2008 U.S. presidential election for Barack Obama, it was the

message” (Cash, 2009). Goodstein was the online director for the “Obama for America”

campaign. The message Obama created and reiterated throughout the election was influential due

to the term preceding him. He was campaigning for change, and in an economic crisis, people

want change. He used this message to win the election.

No. Obama won Because of a Heightened Digital Media Literacy.

Is the medium the message? Is the person the message? Or is the content the message?

The content is important, because we would not have anything to say without words, but

knowing how to relay them well lies in digital media literacy, especially for Obama. The

knowing, of how to display the message clearly, and in a way that your audience will understand

is also having high digital media literacy and knowing how to use the medium well. “Obama's

campaign is immersed in his audience's experience. He meets his audience where they already go

on the web, and his message of ‘change’ is packaged in a clear and consistent manner, much like

the best consumer products” (Shiffman, 2008). He knew how to reach the people he needed to.

His opponent, was not as active with digital media, and therefore, did not relay his message at as

large a scale, or with the right mediums, like Obama did.

Future elections will never be the same because of Obama’s use of social media in his

2008 campaign for president. Obama has now served 2 years in office, and with the midterm

elections of 2010 over, Americans saw how candidates use these new social media tools to their

benefit. With all of the new activities of candidates in campaigning, there needs to be a universal

understanding of how to interpret messages and interact with them in a collective manner. People

should have high-quality digital media literacy in order to know what candidate to believe and

trust before going to the polls.

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