A Digital Agora

During the 2008 presidential election, communication technology permitted media outlets, such as YouTube, ABC, and CNN, to create an electronic gathering place for citizens-a digital agora-both as created online and through related news and mediated events. While the web and media channels served as mouthpieces or magnifiers for campaign messages in previous elections, they were transformed into participatory spaces during this election. The YouTube debates and CNN's use of debate dial testing are examined as the authors demonstrate how such civic engagement resulted in increased feelings of citizen efficacy in the political process and changed the political media environment

Agora · Citizen journalism · Digital media · Feeling · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Presidential election · Presidential system · Public relations · Sociology · Computer Science · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Psychology · Rhetoric and Communication Studies · Social Media and Politics · Social Psychology

• Affective Publics in the YouTube Live Chat

  Open Access•Sungwon Jung, Zhi Lin et al.•Political Communication•2026

  Incluir item

• Directing the Dialogue

  Stephanie Edgerly, Emily K Vraga et al.•Journal of Information Technology…•2013

  Incluir item

• Political performance, boundary spaces, and active spectatorship

  Open Access•Daniel Krei, Daniel Kreiss et al.•Journalism•2014

  Incluir item

• The Relationship between the Perception of Social Media Credibility and Political Engagement in Social Media among Generation Z

  Open Access•Jaayne Jeevita Ronald Alfred, Wong Siew Ping et al.•Journal of Communication,…•2022

  Incluir item

• The role of citizen science mobile apps in facilitating a contemporary digital agora

  Open Access•Gheorghe-Gavrilă Hognogi, Mónika Meltzer et al.•Humanities and Social Sciences…•2023

  Incluir item

• Does Online News Reading and Sharing Shape Perceptions of the Internet as a Place for Public Deliberations

  Hyunjin Kang, Jeong Kyu Lee et al.•Mass Communication & Society•2013

  Incluir item

• Need for Orientation and Third-Person Effects of the Televised Debates in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election

  Ran Wei, Ven‐hwei Lo et al.•Mass Communication & Society•2019

  Incluir item

• Social media use and voting intention in the 2012 Quebec election campaign

  Open Access•Éric Bélanger•French Politics•2019

  Incluir item

• Civic political engagement and social change in the new digital age

  Open Access•Karolina Koc-Michalska, Darren G Lilleker et al.•New Media & Society•2016

  Incluir item

• The democratic role of social media in political debates

  Craig Robertson, William H Dutton et al.•Journal of Information Technology…•2019

  Incluir item

• Digital Platforms and Algorithmic Subjectivities

  Open Access•Emiliana Armano, Marco Briziarelli et al.•Digital Platforms and Algorithmic…•2022

  Incluir item

• Refugee or Migrant Crisis? Labels, Perceived Agency, and Sentiment Polarity in Online Discussions

  Open Access•Ju-­sung Lee, Adina Nerghes•Social Media + Society•2018

  Incluir item

• Mobilizing Political Information on the Websites of U.S. Labor

  Open Access•Clark F Greer, Kurt D Moreland•Labor Studies Journal•2016

  Incluir item

• Real-Time Reactions to a 2012 Presidential Debate

  Amber E Boydstun, Rebecca A Glazier et al.•Public Opinion Quarterly•2014

  Incluir item

• Media use and transnational political and civic participation

  Open Access•Andrea Hickerson, Andrea A Hickerson•Global Networks•2013

  Incluir item

• Sophisticated Hate Stratagems

  Open Access•Rita Kirk, Dan Schill•American Behavioral Scientist•2024

  Incluir item

• Funny, Ha-Ha

  Open Access•Leslie A Rill, Christopher L B Cardiel•American Behavioral Scientist•2013

  Incluir item

• Social Isolation in America

  Paolo Parigi, Warner Henson et al.•Annual Review of Sociology•2014

  Incluir item

• Digital Divide

  Open Access•P Norris•Digital Divide•2001

  Incluir item

• Information and Expression in a Digital Age

  Open Access•Dhavan V Shah, Jaeho Cho et al.•Communication Research•2005

  Incluir item

• Communication, Context, and Community

  Open Access•Dhavan V Shah, Jack M Mcleod et al.•Communication Research•2001

  Incluir item

• Talking Politics and Engaging Politics

  Open Access•Nojin Kwak, Ann E Williams et al.•Communication Research•2005

  Incluir item

• Political Talk as a Catalyst for Online Citizenship

  Open Access•Matthew C Nisbet, Dietram A Scheufele•Journalism & Mass Communication…•2004

  Incluir item

• Social capital online

  Tetsuro Kobayashi, K Ikeda et al.•Information Communication & Society•2006

  Incluir item

• Direct and Differential Effects of the Internet on Political and Civic Engagement

  Open Access•Michael A Xenos, Michael Xenos et al.•Journal of Communication•2007

  Incluir item

• Communication and Citizenship

  Patricia Moy, Michael A Xenos et al.•Mass Communication & Society•2005

  Incluir item

• Media Dissociation, Internet Use, and Antiwar Political Participation

  Hyunseo Hwang, Michael Schmierbach et al.•Mass Communication & Society•2006

  Incluir item

• Media Participation

  Open Access•Erik P Bucy, Kimberly Gregson et al.•New Media & Society•2001

  Incluir item

• Finally Informing the Electorate? How the Internet Got People Thinking about Presidential Politics in 2004

  Open Access•Kajsa E Dalrymple, Dietram A Scheufele•Harvard International Journal of…•2007

  Incluir item

• A Boost or Bust for Democracy

  Open Access•Thomas J Johnson, Barbara K Kaye•Harvard International Journal of…•2003

  Incluir item

• Being a Citizen Online

  Open Access•Dietram A Scheufele, Matthew C Nisbet•Harvard International Journal of…•2002

  Incluir item

• The Internet and Political Participation

  Open Access•Rabia Karakaya Polat•European Journal of Communication•2005

  Incluir item

• The Effects of Internet Use on Political Participation

  Open Access•J Woody Stanley, Jane Stanley et al.•Administration & Society•2004

  Incluir item

• Internet paradox

  Robert Kraut, Robert E Kraut et al.•American Psychologist•1998

  Incluir item

• Community, Communication, and Participation

  Jack M Mcleod, Dietram A Scheufele et al.•Political Communication•1999

  Incluir item

• Internet Use and Civic Engagement

  M Kent Jenning, M Kent Jennings et al.•Public Opinion Quarterly•2003

  Incluir item

• Connecting" and "Disconnecting" With Civic Life

  Dhavan V Shah, Nojin Kwak R Lance Holbe Dhavan V Shah et al.•Political Communication•2001

  Incluir item

• Exposure to the Newer Media in a Presidential Primary Campaign

  David Tewksbury•Political Communication•2006

  Incluir item

• Presidential debates as focal points for campaign arguments

  Diana Prentice Carlin•Political Communication•1992

  Incluir item

• Trust, Civic Engagement, and the Internet

  Eric M Uslaner•Political Communication•2004

  Incluir item

• The Study of Information Technology and Civic Engagement

  Bruce Bimber•Political Communication•2000

  Incluir item

• Explicating Opinion Leadership

  Dhavan V Shah, Dietram A Scheufele•Political Communication•2006

  Incluir item

• The Internet, Public Spheres, and Political Communication

  Peter Dahlgren•Political Communication•2005

  Incluir item

• Blogs in Campaign Communication

  Open Access•Gracie Lawson-Borders, Gracie Lawson‐Borders et al.•American Behavioral Scientist•2005

  Incluir item

• Cross-cutting Social Networks

  Open Access•Diana C Mutz•American Political Science Review•2002

  Incluir item

• Facilitating Communication across Lines of Political Difference

  Open Access•Diana C Mutz•American Political Science Review•2001

  Incluir item