Columbia, MO, USA. A study of recent political blogs indicates politics are getting nastier due to digital media, which are segmenting people into polarized interest groups, a barrier to civility in the political discourse at the heart of democracy.

However, the authors of a new paper can only recommend a balanced approach to finding information, based on the assumption that citizens are looking for a full and fair political discussion.


"One side is going to lose in every political discussion," said Ben Warner, PhD, an associate professor of communication at the University of Missouri. "The danger with this open hostility found in digital media toward the other side in politics is that it undermines the legitimacy of the people that we disagree with politically. It's important to recognize that people who disagree with you aren't evil or trying to destroy America; they just have different perspectives." Warner co-authored an article with Ryan Neville-Shepard, PhD, of Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) in the Atlantic Journal of Communication.

Before the digital age, some political campaigns used the quieter media of handbills and printed news publications to get their pont across. For example:

An ad from the 1913 Alberta (Canada) general election highlighting the race, and issues surrounding the 1913 election, is an example of early negative advertising in the Alberta provincial elections.

The ad features local candidates in the Nanton district Conservative J.T. Cooper and Liberal John M. Glendenning. It was paid for by the Cooper campaign and ran in the Nanton News Front Page (April 10, 1913).

In its original appearance in the newspaper the original was placed on the front page on the right hand side with large gaps spaced all the way down the page.

— Photo and text adapted from Wikimedia Commons.

While examining political arguments in the digital age, the authors found rhetoric in Howard Dean's 2004 presidential primary blogs indicated a dramatic fight between heroes and villains. As bloggers would post comments about their activities, a common theme of fighting to take back our country emerged, a now-common theme in many political campaigns.

"While this isn't new language to campaigns, it implies that political authority must be taken rather than earned, indicating that the ruling party is an illegitimate power," Warner said. "When this type of language is adopted by the base, a channel is created for that viciousness to grow."

As a contrast, a review of President Barack Obama's 2008 campaign blogs shows that bloggers often dismissed overly negative comments and asked users to remain respectful. "The conversation on the Obama blogs matched the respectful tone modeled by the campaign itself," said Warner.

"Senator John McCain wasn't an evil villain but a misguided politician who should be respected for his service to the country," a perspective that may originate in political reality, given the respect for people with his specific life history of service.

Warner recommends that people use varied sources of information, including mainstream media and sites that feature the opposing view, to form their opinions. While noting that there were still wide sections of both blogs that were well-intentioned and respectful models of civic engagement, Warner notes that blogs could assist in turning "scattered political frustrations" into "passionate mobs."

"There are times when passionate mobs are precisely what society needs. Yet, we all need to realize our nation is filled with diverse perspectives," Warner said. "Ideological warfare does little to heal divisions in society, but trust in each other can preserve a healthy democracy."

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