[Air-l] Media monitoring applied online, election administration and the Internet

[Steven Clift]

For all those "websphere" research buffs, how would you apply your tools
and techniques to daily monitoring of major web sites during election
periods? This is a possible extension of media monitoring to promote
free and fair elections.  Think global, developing democracies ...

What tools and practices would you recommend? The general idea is that
weekly reports could be generated about major media sites, government
run sites, etc.. for bias/balance in coverage, etc..

Also, from a campaign regulation approach on party/candidate/individual
sites, issues of liable, right of reply, etc. are also included in the
research request below.

Thanks,
Steven Clift



Election Administration and the Internet Research Request
---------------------------------------------------------------

This is NOT a research request about electronic voting.

This research request is about the use of the Internet in the
electoral process. This request covers all levels of election
administration, law, and campaign practice around the world as
these issues relate to the use of the Internet.

Specifically:

1. Strategic use of the Internet by government Election
Management Bodies.

2. Campaign regulations and laws related to the use of the
Internet in elections.

3. The process of independent "media monitoring" to promote
free and fair elections as applied to the Internet.

Please reply by _April 1, 2004_ to:

     clift at publicus.net


- More Detail -

Of interest are best practice examples, research, reports, plans
and proposals in any language related to:

1. Strategic use of the Internet by government Election
Management Bodies.

    This includes online information and multimedia provision,
    two-way communication, administrative transactions (campaign
    finance reporting, updating or verifying voter
    registration/electoral roll, etc.), administrative communication
    and online coordination, voter education, and outreach to target
    and marginalized groups. Again, my research request does not
    cover voting technology nor remote Internet voting.

2. Campaign regulations and laws related to the use of the
Internet in elections.

    This includes the use of the Internet during election campaign
    periods by political parties, candidates, governments, the
    media, major or minor web sites, interest groups, individuals
    and others.  This includes the application of existing laws and
    rules on campaign and media practices online.


3. The process of independent "media monitoring" to promote free and
fair
elections as applied to the Internet.

    This includes standard practices related to online analysis and
    monitoring of the web sites and e-mail efforts of traditional
    media organizations, governments, and other large reach online
    information and news providers in election periods.


I am conducting this research for the International Foundation
for Election Systems <http://www.ifes.org>.  It is part of a
comprehensive effort to review new electoral practices as they
relate to election administration standards.  Electoral
standards represent the foundation of democratic expectations
necessary to ensure free and fair elections in any country.

If you are not sure whether the information or research
that you have is of interest, please send it in
<clift at publicus.net> regardless.  Suggested contacts are also
valuable.

If you would like to learn about the specific results of this
research, please check with IFES.  I will announce any important
public news about this effort on my Democracies Online Newswire
e-mail announcement list <http://www.dowire.org> as well.

Sincerely,

Steven Clift
E-democracy expert and speaker
clift at publicus.net
http://publicus.net



Steven Clift - http://publicus.net - Reply to: clift at publicus.net
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