Media Advisory

Web logs or "blogs" and the Internet have already sparked much discussion in the presidential campaign, as candidates such as Howard Dean have used them to generate popular support and to raise money. But how much will they impact the presidential race between now and Election Day?

This topic will be explored in a symposium entitled "The Internet and Political Campaigns — What Impact Will it Have in 2004?," which is being held on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2003 at the Johns Hopkins University's Bernstein-Offit Building, located at 1717 Massachusetts Ave. NW.

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7:30 p.m. It is sponsored by the Communications and Government Programs of Johns Hopkins University Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences Advanced Academic Programs.

Panelists include Michael B. Cornfield, research director of the Institute for Politics, Democracy and the Internet at The George Washington University; R. Rebecca Donatelli, president of Campaign Solutions and who was lead Internet consultant to the McCain for President campaign in 2000; Laura Quinn, managing partner at QRS Newmedia Inc. and former deputy chief of staff to Al Gore; and Harrison "Lee" Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project and an expert at the use of the Internet in American society and culture.

The discussion will be moderated by Alexis Rice, a fellow in the Center for the Study of American Government at the Johns Hopkins Washington Center. Rice is the creator of www.campaignsonline.org and the author of a recent report on web blogs, entitled, "The Use of Blogs in the 2004 Presidential Election."