The internet has become a leading source of campaign news for young people; fully 42% of those ages 18 to 29 say they regularly learn about the campaign from the internet, the highest percentage for any news source. By comparison, as recently as January 2004, just 20% of young people said they routinely got campaign news from the internet. The role of social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook is a notable part of the story. In general, the internet is living up to its potential as a major source for news about the presidential campaign. Nearly a quarter of Americans (24%) say they regularly learn something about the campaign from the internet, almost double the percentage at a comparable point in the 2004 campaign (13%). Read More

Russell Heimlich  is a former web developer at Pew Research Center.