Norwegian Parties and Web 2.0

ABSTRACT

The focus of this article is on Norwegian political parties' adaption of Web 2.0 before and during the long campaign for the local elections in September 2007. By 2007, most parties had learned to use their Web sites as instruments for professional political marketing. In this process of streamlining, party presence on the Web acquired the characteristics of what is now conceptualized as Web 1.0. This article asks whether the emergence of Web 2.0, with its potential for grassroots participation and networking, as well as multilateral interactivity, was a catalyst of “e-ruptive” change towards greater pluralism or participation. The data indicate that in terms of party competition, Web 2.0 had at best a weak pluralizing effect, as party visibility in Web 2.0 environments roughly reflected party vote share. However, Web 2.0 enhanced participatory democracy by lowering the threshold for the involvement of the party grassroots and other sympathizers.

KEYWORDS:

• Campaigning
• Norway
• political parties
• Web 2.0

The author is grateful for all support from Geir Haugsbakk and Yngve Nordkvelle at the Center for Media Pedagogics, Lillehammer University College, during the research process.

Notes

1. This ban may be lifted after a recent judgment by European Court of Human Rights (2008).

2. A couple of the smaller parties were not able to fully implement new solutions in time for the elections.

3. See http://www.alexa.com/.

4. For instance, only the youth organization of one of the parties appeared to have established itself on MySpace (see http://www.myspace.com/fremskrittspartietsungdom).

5. See http://www.vgb.no.

6. See http://www.snutter.no.

7. When party informants were asked about activity on Web 2.0, “… as far as I know” was a frequent addition to their statements.

8. Six if the Conservative leader's quasiblog is included.

9. See http://ernasolberg.nettblogg.no/.

10. See the invitation at http://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/valg-2007/artikkel.php?artid=194804.

11. In some instances, “hate groups” opposing specific parties were also established, particularly against the Progress Party, but these are not included in this analysis.

12. Only the profiles for one of the vice-leaders of Red Electoral Alliance and the leader of the Centre Party were found.

13. Facebook group IDs: Conservatives: 2431161089, Labour Party 2421715973, and Centre Party 2256306844.

14. Add (/Venstreshovedorg), (/arbeiderpartiet), (/hoyre), (/RAUDTVAL07), and (/Senterpartiet) to http://www.youtube.com for these channels.

15. See http://www.snutter.no.

16. See http://www.aftenposten.no.

17. VG-Snutter videos found through search string (http://www.snutter.no/app/searchVideo.action?searchFields= tags&categoryId=11&searchString=valg&s=S%C3%B8k). Number of views as of August 4th 2008. The complete list of Aftenposten's candidate videos are available at http://www.aftenposten.no/template/ver6/components/valg/videoliste.jsp.

18. The Red Electoral Alliance is the by far largest and most established of the small parties, with considerable representation at the local level. Furthermore, the party is “rich on member resources,” as remarked by the party informant, having its roots on the new activist left originating in the late 1960s.