Envisioning the Caucus Community: Online Newspaper Editors Conceptualize Their Political Roles

Abstract

This article explores how local newspaper editors, as they move online and develop increasingly comprehensive and sophisticated Web sites, conceptualize the ways in which they might take advantage of the opportunities afforded by this new medium. To do so, it considers five caucus-specific sites in light of the notion of a potentially reinvigorated public sphere. The results suggest that despite the participatory nature of the medium, local newspapers' efforts to facilitate formation of an online democratic community remain tentative. Online editors recognize interactivity as a key attribute of the Web, but most are only just beginning to explore ways to move beyond their traditional role as information providers to create a space for meaningful political discourse.