Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: "Weblogs," or "blogs," constitute an emerging online media form whose prominence has grown in recent years. The 2004 US presidential election saw a new focus placed upon blogs as a political tool, which some believed to have the potential to revolutionize political reporting and discourse within the United States. Blogs were involved in political mobilization (including fund-raising activities) during the election cycle, and some blog authors were granted credentialed status at the DNC and RNC political conventions.

This paper explores how best to classify weblogs within the realm of political media. We examine several blogs networks by multiple time series models relating the evolution of structural properties such as density, centralization, and cohesion to changes in national and state level polling data during the last three and a half months leading up to the election. Our analysis tests the hypotheses that weblogs can be seen as either nascent political organizations or as political communication networks. Additionally it emphasizes the importance of studying large-scale networks as open systems, and demonstrates some useful techniques for future studies of network dynamics.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: In the spring of 2004, an anonymous Weblog entitled “the phantom professor” hosted by an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University was discovered that contained sharp criticisms of the faculty and student body. Following the instructor’s dismissal a controversy erupted in the mass media, in the blogosphere and across Web discussion boards about the limits of free speech, the responsibilities of university professors and whether or not the privacy of certain faculty and students had been compromised.

This paper explores the “phantom professor” case from a social capital perspective, arguing that blogs empower some users to use their voice to gain more social capital than their offline work environment allows, but that these gains are often constrained to the online context. In the offline interpersonal context, anonymous blogs can actually break down existing social capital and make communication within the organization more difficult. In addition, considerations about the differing types of social capital (bonding vs. bridging) are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This research examines impression management strategies that high-ranking organizational executives employ to create an identity for themselves and their companies via executive-authored Weblogs (blogs). It attempts to identify specific patterns of impression management strategies by applying Jones’ (1990) taxonomy to analyze the content of this particular type of computer-mediated communication. The study revealed that executive bloggers frequently employ three impression management strategies to construct and shape a positive identity for themselves with their publics.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Threats aimed at public officials are increasingly communicated through electronic means (i.e., email and Internet posting). Those who pose a threat must be identified and stopped before they engage in negative approach behavior toward their target. The current study examines 500 inappropriate letter, email and weblog cases targeting legislators from 2002 through 2006. The goals of the study are to examine each type of correspondence for differential content/language characteristics and differential problematic approach risk factors. Preliminary analyses revealed that emailers and letter writers significantly differ on some characteristics and risk factors. The findings and implications will be discussed in detail.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This exploratory study examines the conversation created by staff-produced political blogs at general-circulation daily newspapers one week prior to the November 2006 election. Results show that the blogs studied contained a small number of postings, failed to create much interaction between the blogger and the audience, and attracted few audience comments, calling into question whether political blogs are effective in meeting newspaper goals to encourage civic discourse.