MySpace goes political
2007-03-19 09:00
San Francisco - MySpace pages of ten US presidential candidates will debut on Monday when the popular social networking website goes live with a channel devoted to politics, civic groups, and charitable missions.
News Corporation's MySpace will launch Impact Channel at impact.myspace.com to provide a place on the internet for people worldwide to rally around political candidates or cherished causes.
The channel will begin with a focus on contenders vying to win the 2008 US presidential election.
A preview of the Impact Channel main page revealed photo links to profile pages of Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Rudy Giuliani, Duncan Hunter, Dennis Kucinich, John McCain, Barack Obama, Ron Paul, and Mitt Romney.
The website also featured video clips in which presidential candidates and other politicians, including California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, discussed issues or developments involved in the race.
Visitors to the website are provided easy ways to copy candidates' virtual election banners or badges to personal MySpace pages and to become part of online fundraising networks for campaigns.
"As the country's most trafficked website, MySpace will play a powerful role in the upcoming election," said MySpace chief executive Chris DeWolfe.
"Our digital candidate banners will be the yard signs of the 21st Century and our political viral videos and vlogs (video logs) are the campaign ads of the future."
Approximately 90 million people used MySpace in February, according to figures released by internet market research firm comScore.
MySpace said the launch of Impact Channel is the first phase of a plan to use the power of online social networking to generate enthusiasm for, and involved in, politics and civic issues.
"It is, in many respects, a revolutionary step in the way political candidates are engaging with voters," MySpace vice president Jeff Berman told AFP.
"Users are looking for more ways to interact with candidates for office and people doing good in the world. For candidates and do-gooders, this is a home for their profiles and their communities."
While the Impact Channel was launching with a focus on the US presidential election, it will be expanded to be used globally for political contests of all kinds as well as by non-profit organisations, Berman said.
"It is a brand new way of engaging the community and empowering them to make a difference," Berman said.