Small Town, Big Election: Social Media and the 2012 National Election
Channel: Wyoming Videos
Date: 2012-12-08

"Small Town, Big Election: A Look at New, Alternative, and Emerging Media Sources Used by Rural Residents in the 2012 Presidential Campaign" at the Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy's dialogue event entitled "Social Media and the 2012 National Election: Successes and Failures".  
Kristen Landreville, Assistant Professor in the UW Department of Communication and Journalism, and her students presented results from their ongoing study "Small Town, Big Election: A Look at New, Alternative, and Emerging Media Sources Used by Rural Residents in the 2012 Presidential Campaign" on November 14, 2012  in the Wyoming Union's Family Room.
The use of social media in Wyoming and national campaigns and politics was the focus of two dialogue events Nov. 14, 2012 at UW. Both discussions were hosted by the Malcolm Wallop Fund for Conversations on Democracy, the American Heritage Center, and the UW College of Arts & Sciences.
Landreville and the students are surveying Wyoming residents to determine their use of online technology for political purposes and why they are engaging with these media. They are also being questioned about their use of emerging technologies and alternative media compared to more traditional sources, and how these new media sources influence their attitudes and perceptions about their trust in government.
Student presenters included:
Caitlin White, recent graduate of the University of Wyoming Department of Communications and Journalism and current journalism graduate student at University of Memphis.
Sam Allen, graduate student, University of Wyoming Department of Communications and Journalism
Kali McCradein, senior, University of Wyoming Department of Communications and Journalism
Video by UW Television
Camera: Ali Grossman, UWTV
Editor: Cameron Patey, UWTV