Code Politics Research Report #2: Ontario Election 2007 Weekly Report for Week of Aug. 31, 2007

Introduction

The Infoscape Research Lab at Ryerson University will be producing a weekly research report outlining how the provincial election is playing out on three of the more popular "user-generated" websites: Facebook, web logs (or blogs), and Youtube.

1. For the Facebook social networking site we will be tracking the membership of "groups" as indicators of emerging issues and controversies during the campaign. After the campaign the lab will undertake a more comprehensive analysis of the forms of networking and campaign organizing that were promoted on these groups.
2. The research report will also rank the top issues discussed by bloggers. The top ten issues are edited from initial Google Blog results using the search term "Ontario Election".
3. The Youtube video ranking constitutes the most comprehensive portion of the weekly research reports. The Youtube analysis includes charts that track the top 5 most viewed videos for each of the three party leaders. In addition to our weekly report our homepage also includes daily updated charts tracking views for 1) the parties' official Youtube video channels and 2) Youtube channels/videos that the lab has identified as belonging to backroom party operatives.

For More information on the Code Politics Project contact Greg Elmer, Director, Infoscape Research Lab and Bell Globemedia Research Chair, Ryerson University. 416-802-2182 or gelmer@bell.blackberry.net.

Findings for the week ending August 31st, 2007

Executive Summary

• The official PC videos are receiving considerably more views than either of the two other parties (note. The NDP has yet to establish an official Youtube campaign channel like the two other parties). There were 5751 views of PC videos for the month ending August 31st, 2007. By contrast the Liberals received only 3237. The Tories also uploaded a parody music advertisement on Youtube, receiving 649 views in only three days, by far the most popular video on that site. The video builds on the PCs official campaign website that called for user suggestions for Premier McGuinty theme songs.
• A week before the official campaign begins the blogosphere is abuzz with discussions about John Tory's religious school funding proposal.
• Facebook, by comparison, tends to be dominated by youth and student issues. A student strike group tops the membership list. The young Liberals "Paint it Red" Ontario Election campaign group also tops the group membership list. John Tory's campaign group leads groups from the other leaders. Three MMP groups are also among the top groups on Facebook.

Facebook

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Blogosphere

Top "Ontario Election" Issues in the Blogosphere

YouTube

John Tory

Dalton Mcguinty

Howard Hampton