Affiliations: [a] I.S.C.T.E., Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026
Lisboa, Portugal. E-mail: gustavo.cardoso@iscte.pt;
susana.nascimento@iscte.pt | [b] Dowling College, Idle Hour Blvd, Oakdale, NY 11769,
USA. E-mail: CunhaC@dowling.edu | University of Copenhagen, Denmark | Oxford Internet Institute, UK | University of Klagenfurt, Austria | I.S.C.T.E., Lisbon, Portugal
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author
Abstract: The analysis in this article focuses on the vertical and horizontal
communication patterns of MPs, drawing on examples from a comparative survey
done in seven European countries. The results show that the MPs in these
countries can still be said to be in an initial phase of exploiting the full
range of these new technologies to support their parliamentary and partisan
activity, and that traditional media such as television, radio and newspapers
are still the favoured means for political communication. In so far as ICT is
used, MPs primarily use these means for internal communication within the party
or within parliament, and not very much for external communication with
constituents, journalists, lobbyists, etc. Analysing the use of homepages and
political campaign via ICT, both of these means are seen to be largely
dependent on the political party of the MP, and the party's electoral
strategies, limiting individual initiatives by MPs. Also, a certain disinterest
in a more extensive use, of ICT on the part of the MPs was found. There seem to
be a number of reasons for this disinterest, among these the argument that
there is still a considerable digital divide especially in the Southern
European countries. However, as computer and Internet diffusion continues to
increase rapidly, this argument becomes increasingly invalid.
