Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LIS 601
December 3, 2014
Community Resource Audit
Part 1: Background and Needs Assessment
Introduction
In 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obamas campaign team revolutionized the way
those running for public office communicated his or her message to voters. He harnessed the
powers of social media particularly Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to explain his ideas and
champion policy. Voters could now learn about a candidate when a friend shared a video on her
Facebook wall or when the local newspaper tweeted about that evenings debates. The traditional
media outlets remained intact, too, and TVs, newspapers, and the radio were flooded with
campaign messages. In between election cycles, engaged voters can follow the behavior of their
public officials using the same channels. The outlets of information now available to voters is
both useful and overwhelming, and future voters will most likely have even more options as
technology advances.
Women, perhaps making up for the centuries they spent shut out of the political process,
are increasingly politically engaged. Because any United States citizen at least eighteen years of
age can, theoretically, vote, they are a diverse group. A womans race, ethnicity, ability, sexuality,
socioeconomic class, education levels, political affiliations, and geographical location could
significantly influence how she looks for political and voting information.
Literature Review
Research on the information-seeking behaviors of women voters is often contradictory
and limited. For the purposes of this literature review, studies that did not distinguish a voters
gender will be applied to women voters specifically. Furthermore, some researchers came to very
For voters, the individuals in their social networks can serve as filters, who guide and
inform their decision-making process leading up to Election Day. While women do not
necessarily view their community social networks, such as church organizations or the League of
Women Voters, as authoritative sources for political knowledge (Djupe, 2011), they do seek out
information from those groups more than men (Elder & Greene, 2003). Elder and Green (2003)
found that women use social networks more frequently than men to gather political information,
but they have less confidence in their peers political efficacy; however, they also found that
women frequently talk to other women about social issues. Social issues, such as reproductive
rights or gay marriage, might be considered less complicated than other issues, such as
economics or foreign policy, so that could explain these contradictions. Furthermore, women
could vote according to a candidates stance on a social issue, thus discussing those more with
peers.
As for online social networks, voters are not necessarily using social networks to seek out
information, even if they follow or encounter political or candidate information in those
networks (Himelboim, Hansen & Bowser, 2013; Stephens et al, 2014). On Twitter, users will
follow news outlets, either national or local (Himelboim, Hansen & Bowser, 2013), but
following those sources does not suggest that users are actively seeking information from them.
Similarly, users might encounter political or candidate information on Facebook, but that
network may not be a source they actively use to find that information (Stephens et al., 2014).
Even if Twitter and Facebook are not a users source for information, they could still provide
information, motivate the seeking of additional information, or contribute to information
overload.
Information overload and hostile information environments
In the chaotic information environment of an election cycle, women voters are apt to
experience information overload (Heith, 2010; Redlawsk, 2004; Lampe, Zube, Park, & Johnston,
2014). To avoid that overload, voters will seek out the simplest path to political information,
even if that means making a decision before researching all of her options (Redlawsk, 2004).
Media sources that cover how issues affect women, or soft news such as Cosmopolitan
magazine, might also be sought out as a way of finding a substantial but less overwhelming
amount of information about a particular candidate or issue.
Furthermore, the information environment atmosphere could encourage or deter women
from seeking out certain resources. Women might turn to soft news over hard news, such as
cable news shows, to avoid the often hostile and male-centered environments those create (Heith,
2010; Elder & Greene, 2003). Online forums about political topics promote hostility, too, which
may discourage women from participating (Lampe, Zube, Park, & Johnston, 2014). Sources
written specifically for women, such as womens magazines or websites, attract their attention
not just because of the issues they cover but also because of their tone and style (Heith 2010).
Jackson and Lilleker (2007) found that women are much less likely to subscribe to a political
partys e-newsletter, and they suggest that might be because the newsletters do not focus on
womens issues.
Needs Assessment:
To assess the information needs of women voters, I would first conduct a survey
(included at the end of this section) to generate a basic idea of how and where they look for
political information. I could distribute the survey online, using a service like SurveyMonkey. I
would distribute it via multiple outlets, such as listservs or Facebook pages for womens groups,
including those affiliated with political issues with members who are most likely to vote, like the
League of Women Voters, and including groups that are not specifically focused on politics, like
a mothers group or a sports team fan group. Because I am focusing on all women who do vote
or potentially vote, I would need to avoid targeting only groups that will have large numbers of
women with similar backgrounds and interests. I would also offer the survey online and inperson so that women without internet or computer access were not excluded. Furthermore, I
could distribute the survey to groups that attract both genders in order to have a group of male
voters as a control group. Before widely distributing the survey, I might consult with the
leadership of a womens voting organization for feedback regarding clarity and scope.
I was able to distribute my survey to 8 female friends and co-workers. It is important to
note that my respondents all hold at least a Masters degree, are lower to upper middle class, and
identify as white; additionally, they are all employed in higher education in some capacity, and
their ages range from 22-50. I used SurveyMonkey to distribute it, and unfortunately, it only
allows 10 free questions (or I would need to pay $26/month), so I omitted questions 9 and 10
here. If I were actually conducting this study, I would still include those questions.
I received seven out of eight responses, and Im going to summarize those responses
here. Six out of seven women did vote in at least one of the last three elections. Respondents felt
the most knowledgeable out social issues with four out of seven responding with a variation of
women/reproductive rights and LGBT/civil rights, and environmental issues. Respondents felt
the least knowledgeable about economic issues, with six out of seven citing the economy or a
tax issue. Most respondents felt somewhat prepared (42. 86)% or prepared (42.86%) when
stepping into a voting booth. All respondents said that they seek out information about womens
rights before voting, six out of seven said LGBT rights, and five out of seven with education
policy.
When it comes to preferred sources, six out of seven seek information from news
websites, four of out seven from a newspapers website, three out of seven from a social group,
and three out of seven from a special-interest website. When asked to elaborate on why they
prefer a specific source, respondents provided the following:
1. I enjoy discussing with social groups I am a part of so that we can engage in a
conversation about the topic.
2. variety of sources to compare each other against.
3. Typically newspapers ethically must report information in an objective way.
Although that doesnt ALWAYS happen, one is much more likely to find fair
information here than, say, many cable news networks for magazines who, most of
the time, arent generally withheld under the same ethical tenets .
4. I like going to a candidates website because I like seeing exactly how they (or their
PR manager) describes their stance on the issues. It is often telling, too, which issues
they choose to focus on and which they ignore.
5. Candidate facebook what they write can be very telling.
6. I prefer websites in general because of their accessibility and their ability to link to
other information if interested.
7. Vote411 was great because it gave me information from all candidates in one place. I
wish that it had more information on the super tiny races, though.
As for which sources they avoid, four out of seven respondents said cable news programs, three
out of seven said a candidates Facebook or Twitter page, and three out of seven said a specific
friend or family member. When asked to elaborate on why they avoid that source, the candidates
responded with:
1. Cable news programs are becoming more and more divisive. Instead of looking at
both sides, they often push singular agendas.
2. The potential for biased information.
3. I think voting records often speak for themselves, more so than the contrived and
manipulated information you can receive elsewhere. I particularly think candidates
websites cant provide the most useful and critical information, simply because they
have the most at stake they must sell themselves, therefore the rhetoric can and is
expected to often be misleading.
4. I dont trust my familys views on politics at all. They are generally uninformed, so I
wouldnt want to ask them for advice or info on the candidates at all.
5. Family I have family that I politically disagree with. I do not speak about politic
with them.
6. I do not trust anything coming directly from a candidate and would rather read
interpretations of candidates views that break down the political jargon.
7. I suppose I dont avoid TV news programs so much as I prefer to read my news,
pretty much always. If an interesting news story is just a video, I almost universally
do not watch it, unless its something thats made the rounds on social media a ton so
I know its something of real interest.
If I were to conduct follow-up interviews, either with these same women or others, I
would probe into the specific reasons why they are more informed about
womens/LGBT/environmental issues than economic or education policy. My assumption is that
the former issues are not only more personal for women, but theyre also perceived as being
easier to understand. A voter might also be minimizing information overload by focusing on a
few important issues. Furthermore, I would ask interviewees more about their specific
information-seeking behaviors. What motivates them to research a candidate or issue? Is there
one specific go-to source they start with? When do they feel like their search is done? Based on
those answers, I might gather some more concrete ideas about the kinds of sources women voters
prefer. Finally, I would also probe into what women voters mean when they say they want
unbiased information does that mean they ultimately prefer voting records and actual
candidate quotes, or does that more so mean that they would rather avoid blatantly biased
sources, such as most cable news programs?
This informal data improves my understanding of women voters in a few ways. First,
these responses suggest that voters are very knowledgeable about social issues, such as women
and LGBT rights, and they also seek information out about those issues. On the other hand, these
voters are concerned about education policy but maybe do not feel as knowledgeable about those
issues; similarly, these voters do not feel very knowledgeable about economic and tax issues, so
they might value resources with that information. Overall, women voters might lack confidence
in seeking out information about issues outside of their comfort zone.
Secondly, these responses could be interpreted as voters craving unbiased, critical, and
accessible information. For example, when explaining why they prefer some sources over others,
respondents used words like telling, fair, and objective while describing those they avoid
with biased, divisive, manipulated and contrived and as untrustworthy. Two specifically
preferred websites because of their accessibility and density of information. Furthermore, three
respondents alluded to wanting information that they could make interpretations from, whether
that is a candidates own words or a variety of sources to compare.
Women voters, then, need sources that are produced by third-parties without a firm stake
in the candidacy or issue. Women voters might also value sources that frame issues they are
already compatible with issues they are knowledgeable about women and LGBT issues in
terms of economic/tax and education policy. Not only will that provide necessary information,
but it might empower women, or modify their control beliefs, to learn more about those issues by
connecting them to a topic they already feel knowledgeable about. Finally, women voters want to
access a candidates voting record or how a candidate presents him or herself, so the voter can
critically and independently judge that information. To avoid information overload that can often
occur in the chaotic and hostile political environment, it would be most beneficial to find a
source that only presents the voting record on maybe 10-15 issues or easily allows information
seekers to only see the record for votes of their choosing. Voters might be most apt to use these
sources if they are available online, although choosing sources that are also available in print and
in-person could alleviate some voters accessibility barriers, too.
Survey:
1. Gender:
a. Male
b. Female
2. Did you vote in at least one of the last 3 elections (general or primary)?
a. Yes
b. No
3. Which political issues do you feel the most knowledgeable about? Please fill in 1, 2 or 3
slots below.
a. 1. _____________________________
b. 2. _____________________________
c. 3. _____________________________
4. Which political issues do you feel the least knowledgeable about? Please fill in 1, 2 or 3
slots below.
a. 1.______________________________
b. 2. ______________________________
c. 3. _____________________________
5. When you step into the voting booth, how prepared do you feel to make your choices?
a. 1 (not prepared at all) 2
3
4
5 (very prepared)
6. Before you vote for a candidate, which issues do you usually look for information about?
Please specify 1 to 3 issues below.
a. 1. _______________________________________________________
b. 2. _______________________________________________________
c. 3. _______________________________________________________
7. Where do you prefer to find information about candidates or issues? (circle all that apply)
a. A newspaper
b. A newspapers website or social media
c. A news website (ex. The Huffington Post or Slate)
d. A cable news program (ex. MSNBC or FoxNews)
e. A special-interest website or blog
f. The candidates website
g. The candidates Facebook or Twitter
h. A magazine or magazines website (such as Sports Illustrated or Womens Health)
i. From a social group youre a member of (i.e. a church or common interest group)
j. From a specific friend or family member. Relation to you:
____________________
k. Other:
_____________________________________________________________
8. Please choose one answer from Question 7 to elaborate on. Why do you prefer that
source? What does it offer that other sources do not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________
9. When researching a candidate or issue, which formats do you prefer to use? Circle all that
apply.
a. Articles
b. Interviews
c. Online videos
d. Podcasts
e. Books
f. TV shows
g. Talk radio shows
h. Documentary
i. Other: _____________________________________________________
10. Please choose one of your answers from Question 9 and elaborate. Why do you prefer
that format? What does it offer that other formats do not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________
11. When researching a candidate or issue, do you avoid any of the below sources? Circle all
that apply.
a. A newspaper
b. A newspapers website or social media
c. A news website (ex. The Huffington Post or Slate)
d. A cable news program (ex. MSNBC or FoxNews)
e. A special-interest website or blog
f. The candidates website
g. The candidates Facebook or Twitter
h. A magazine or magazines website (such as Sports Illustrated or Womens Health)
i. From a social group youre a member of (i.e. a church or common interest group)
j. From a specific friend or family member. Relation to you:
____________________
k. Other: __________________________________________________________
12. Please choose one of your answers from Question 11 to elaborate on. Why do you avoid
that source?:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
__________________
Ethical Considerations:
Women voters are a diverse community, so my resource guide has the potential to reach
any woman eighteen years or older, regardless of socioeconomic class, educational background,
or political affiliation. Members of my community could be severely political disenfranchised
and are already facing immense barriers in the voting process. Thus, I want to include some
resources that are accessible online or in-person with low time and effort costs for the
community member. Ill also need to consider that while my research supports that women lack
generally lack confidence in their political knowledge, women with those additional challenges
might feel even less empowered; therefore, I need to carefully avoid condescending or
pretentious resources. Not only would I consider this while designing my guide, but also when
determining how to communicate with my community and distribute it.
Furthermore, to respect my communities intellectual freedom, I need to provide sources
that are non-partisan or balance partisan sources with opposing partisan sources. I do not want
my selection of sources to reveal a bias (particularly if I were producing this on behalf of a
public institution, like most libraries), nor make any women feel like my guide has an agenda.
Part II: Information Dissemination
Search Strategy:
Because Im primarily targeting innovators and early adopters, most of my resources are
found online. Innovative women voters are most likely comfortable using the internet and can
easily access it at home or work. I found some of these sources by first visiting websites of news
outlets I was familiar with, such as NPR, and looking for appropriate material there or links to
other potential resources. Others I found by going directly to a database, like YouTube, and
searching with key terms like economy explained or understanding economics.
My goal was to find sources in a variety of formats that educate voters about the
candidates and issues, particularly economics and education in terms of womens and
environmental issues. Some of these are brief and can be consumed in multiple ways, like the
Planet Money podcast and the Huffington Post Education page, while others are more in-depth,
like the Economic Policy Institute that provides extensive coverage of those issues. I also wanted
to include at least two mobile apps that might provide more accessibility, so that is why I listed
Voting Information Project and WatchUP! apps.
I included a few resources for educational reasons but also because they are encouraging.
The We the Economy series explains economic topics as short films and while it might only
cover the basics, it will show women that they can easily understand complex issues, too. The
TedTalks serve a similar purpose; they are certainly educational, but most of them also leave the
viewer feeling curious or inspired to learn more.
I also wanted to include a few sources that would be more easily accessible to women
without home internet access. I chose to use my local librarys catalog and other resources from
them as an example of those. I also included our local Tri-State Literacy Council, located in our
public library, as a resource for women with limited reading skills. They can work with their
tutor to tailor their sessions to reading about politics and community issues.
Resource Guide:
Link to Resource Guide: http://cstaley249.wordpress.com
Communication and Dissemination Plan:
receiving feedback from users who are actually engaging with the guide, an important
consideration because my community is so diverse.
To follow-up or gain more in-depth insight into the users experience, I could ask for
volunteers from the League of Women Voters, or another similar organization, to use the site and
then interview them about their experiences. This method would limit my scope of users because
members of a politically-focused organization are going to most likely have high levels of
political efficacy and fewer barriers to participation.
References
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Psychology, 30(1), 125-151. Retrieved from: http://jstor.org/stable/20447187.
Ditonto, T. M., Hamilton, A. J., & Redlawsk, D. P. (2014) Gender stereotypes, information
search, and voting behavior in political campaigns. Political Behavior, 35, 335-358. DOI:
10.1007/s11109-013-9232-6.
Djupe, P. A. (2011). Political Pluralism and the Information Search: Determinants of Group
Opinionation. Political Research Quarterly, 64, 68-81. DOI:
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