YouTube: Political Friend or Foe??????

YouTube, a form of new new medium, is being used effectively by politicians as a ‘political tool’ to polarise public opinion and gain public support. Many politicians, such as Barrack Obama, have used YouTube to their advantage, riding it all the way to the White House. However, YouTube can be a double sided sword and there is also the danger of political figures being subjected to ridicule through satire and parody. Founded in February 2005, YouTube is the leader in online video. It allows visitors and members the ability to watch and share videos on its site, and it gives its users the ability to “broadcast” themselves to the world. Its open nature means that it is easy for anyone to join, a major factor which has lead to its success as a new new media phenomenon.

According to BBC news, YouTube attracted one billion hits a day, as of October last year, and according to Ryan Junee, product manager of YouTube, 1,728,000 minutes of material are posted on YouTube each day as of the 20th of May 2009. These are phenomenal figures, and just go to show the unbelievable reach which YouTube has. These types of figures explain why YouTube has become such a potent political tool in gaining public awareness and support, and their significance has changed the way in which American politics operates.

One of the biggest influences on the 2008 American election was a music video titled “I’ve got a crush on Obama”, which first aired on YouTube on June 2007, and in its first month it had been viewed an amazing 2.3 million times and today it has been viewed over 17 million times. While this was not a political video which was officially endorsed by the Obama party, it greatly influenced those under the age of 30 to vote for Obama and it is no coincidence that the majority of those who viewed this video were under the age of 30.

YouTube may also destroy a political parties credibility and derail their Presidential aspirations in seconds, ala the McCain Campaign and CBS evening news incident which occurred less than 2 months from the election date. This interview revealed cracks in the McCain Campaign and really questioned the credibility of its leaders, John McCain and Sarah Palin. The interview revealed how Palin and McCain had conflicting views and opinions, in particular drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The interview portrayed Palin as a sort of loose cannon, who had personal beliefs which differed greatly from those of her party, such as contraception.

YouTube is used as an open tool of communication between voters and candidates, and the produsage nature of YouTube means that candidates must ensure that they present themselves in an appropriate manner. The site of Sarah Palin stumbling through an interviewers questions on CBS evening news haunted the McCain party and effectively killed of thier chances of winning the 2008 American election.