Published on Infoscape Research Lab (http://www.infoscapelab.ca)
Code Politics Research Report #2: Ontario Election 2007 Weekly Report for Week of Aug. 31, 2007
By admin
Created 31 Aug 2007 - 5:04pm

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

If the image is cut-off, please click the image to view it in a new window. [1]If the image is cut-off, please click the image to view it in a new window.

Blogosphere

Top "Ontario Election" Issues in the Blogosphere

Rank Issue
1 school funding
2 the ndp
3 families coalition
4 http://ontarioelectionreform
5 john tory
6 religious schools
7 the liberals
8 a minority government
9 nuclear
10 canadian federation of students

YouTube

John Tory

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
Let's Get it Started [2] April 19, 2007 91 Unknown Negative
John Tory joking about Dalton McGuinty [3] March 18, 2007 84 Unknown Positive
In Caledonia One Rule for All [4] August 21, 2007 78 PC Positive
Why we Support John Tory [5] February 27, 2007 75 PC Positive
John Tory Promises [6] June 9, 2007 71 Unknown Negative

Dalton Mcguinty

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
Dalton McGuinty Music Mix [7] August 28, 2007 649 PC Negative
Opening Canada's largest Hindu Temple [8] July 24, 2007 264 Liberal Positive
McGuinty quizzed on crime [9] August 22, 2007 133 PC Negative
Let's Go Nuclear! [10] April 11, 2007 93 NGO Negative
Dalton McGuinty's Deja Vu [11] June 22, 2007 89 Unknown Negative

Howard Hampton

Title Upload Date Views Last Week Affiliation Tone
Pop-Up Video - NDP Style [12] August 1, 2007 77 Unknown Negative
Spin Cycle Question [13] August 27, 2007 16 Unknown Neutral
Howard Hampton speaks about Michael Prue [14] August 27, 2007 3 NDP Positive
Howard Hampton introduction video [15] January 27, 2007 0 NDP Positive
Howard Hampton on water in Guelph (4/4) [16] June 20, 2007 0 Unknown Positive


Source URL: http://www.infoscapelab.ca/node/258

Links:
[1] http://www.infoscapelab.ca/
[2] http://www.youtube.com/?v=8VTj75pyHX4
[3] http://www.youtube.com/?v=tbL041BuBxM
[4] http://www.youtube.com/?v=PHlNNjUpalw
[5] http://www.youtube.com/?v=yEOR3i4EmEQ
[6] http://www.youtube.com/?v=n-US7Kkn5CE
[7] http://www.youtube.com/?v=jmtp0qvntMM
[8] http://www.youtube.com/?v=Gvj7aVoUeo0
[9] http://www.youtube.com/?v=PZBzp8ZUp-w
[10] http://www.youtube.com/?v=qawHHsZeGUs
[11] http://www.youtube.com/?v=O3Aocqn68LE
[12] http://www.youtube.com/?v=UGl8H1Rq0tQ
[13] http://www.youtube.com/?v=y9tJPEkgcxQ
[14] http://www.youtube.com/?v=3WC8kFN5aTo
[15] http://www.youtube.com/?v=cuIFQe4Oeh4
[16] http://www.youtube.com/?v=aFizT0ErOk4