Sure, thousands of kids who not long ago delivered newspapers for a living are getting rich with dot.com ventures. But grown-ups, including public affairs professionals, are also using the Internet to affect the political process.
"There has been a great deal of talk about e-commerce, but the effects of the Internet on 'idea-commerce' are also profound," says Douglas Pinkham, president of the Foundation for Public Affairs. "It is changing the way the media report on political issues, the way the government interacts with the public, the way corporations communicate with their stakeholders and the balance of power between various interest groups."
According to a study of 41 politicians, journalists, activists, government executives, political consultants and corporate public affairs professionals:
- Information technology has enabled activist groups to seek out supporters and funding, coordinate efforts, and launch major advocacy campaigns quickly and cheaply.
- The Internet facilitates access to raw information (and misinformation) and increases the need for trusted intermediaries who can sort it out.
- The Internet greatly increases the transparency of the policy-making process.
- While the Internet gives people more tools to become politically active, it hasn't necessarily made the general public more engaged in politics.
Contact: Douglas Pinkham, 202/872-1790, www.pac.org.