Can YouTube cure political apathy?
Politicians and political parties upload original Youtube clips to explain issues, reach young voters The Japan Times Friday, September 12, 2008 By Kazuaki Nagata Thanks to video-sharing Web sites like YouTube, it has become easier to broadcast and share video clips with the world, whether it’s a short film shot with a cell phone or an elaborately choreographed movie. Inevitably, politicians are among those taking advantage of Google-operated YouTube, which boasts 250 million users worldwide, as a promotional tool. While the best-known political use of YouTube may be the last couple of fierce U.S. presidential elections, Japanese politicians are riding the wave as well, although the election law here bans the use of online promotional tools during official campaign periods. Content varies from party to party, but seven parties have been actively uploading original video clips since December, when the ruling Liberal Democratic Party started its own YouTube channel. An LDP spokesman said
