Campaigning in a hybrid media environment

Henry Jenkins writes eloquently about the difficulties Dean faces campaigning in a hybrid media environment, where “ what plays well on the internet is almost exactly opposite from what plays well on television. Part of what happened to Dean was that complex ideas which could be developed through a post in his blog were reduced by his opponents into ‘sound bytes’ which could be used against him on television, forcing him perpetually on the defensive.” I think Jenkins’ point is the one I’d like to keep making - - and also note that if we care about complex policy issues we need to find imaginative ways to operate in this hybrid context. Call me a naive idealist, but I think grassroots organizing — one person talking to one person talking to one person in a vast decentralized network is an important first step. Consider this me talking to you!