We live in a digital world when it comes to politics and elections. And that’s a remarkable reality.
From social media and platforms like Facebook and Twitter, to the periodic eNewsletter that curates top story content, to online websites that alert you with breaking news, it would appear social dialogue and opinion really matter in campaigning – and ultimately how someone votes.
However there’s a catch. Most people that own a newspaper or media center in Alaska, and that includes every digital digest, blog, news missive and commentary – are biased, and more often than not, to the extreme left or far right.
Perhaps that’s plain old human nature, but it tends to frustrate and suppress the depth of the online conversation. Liberals and conservatives have opinions, but so do progressives, libertarians, humanists, and myriad others within the intellectual collective of our society.
Add to the equation the fact most news sources don’t solely focus on issues, candidates, advertising and imaging, nor the plethora of components that comprise Alaska’s political world. Suddenly there’s a clear and present thirst for nitty gritty political reporting. How about national and international themes permeating into Alaska policy and politics; or robust case studies on electoral process.
It’s a huge mosaic of potential information sharing, gathering, and assimilation that benefits people so they can make better informed decisions.
Enter Alaska Politics & Elections (APE)
This is a new political forum. We’ll be attempting to capture as much information as possible relating to campaigns statewide, from city to state to federal, that include or involve Alaskans.
Think of a candidate’s latest political ad on T.V. or radio or in print that you missed; envision poll results or Alaska Public Offices Commission data and financial statistics for Alaskans running for office that you may not be privy to; ruminate on breaking news about momentum or snail’s pace activism, advocacy and campaign messaging.
APE welcomes contributing writers like former CIA analyst Fred Fleitz, foreign relations and Middle East expert Jonathan Greenberg, oil/gas/resource development guru Brad Keithley, economist and land use expert Bill Reid, and many more topics and writers covering candidates, propositions and elections with Alaska at the center. We’ll have some surprises along the way, and all of our experts providing thought-provoking information.
Make sure to like our Facebook Page. Sign-up for our forthcoming eNewsletter which will include each week’s articles. Most importantly, we hope you’ll engage in the conversation and submit your own work product and messaging if you’re a campaign consultant or candidate.
Thanks for your interest in our new digital campaigns and elections forum. Please join us for a worthwhile journey into Alaska politics.
“I claim that human mind or human society is not divided into watertight compartments called social, political and religious. All act and react upon one another.”
– Mahatma Gandhi
