A Rearch of the Self-Presentation and Feedback Mechanisms of Politicians' websites: A Case Study of the Members of 4th Legislative Yuan

• Main Authors: Shih-Ping Chen, 陳詩蘋
• Other Authors: Hui-jung Chang
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2001
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/64160566790593807243

碩士 === 國立中山大學 === 傳播管理研究所 === 89 === Personal website is a new political communication channel of politicians in recent years. Websites can be politicians’ personal media because of distinguishing features of unlimited space and hypermedia. Politicians present various kinds of information, political opinion and great self-image in their personal websites. This interactive media also provides the interaction between politicians and citizens. This thesis mainly uses content analysis to discover how 4th-term legislators present themselves in WWW as well as their websites’ functionality and design. Then it also uses Web-based questionnaire to understand the usage and utility of websites’ feedback mechanisms. The conclusions are as followed: (1) The DPP legislators are the most likely ones when it comes to establishing personal websites among the lawmakers. Although KMT has more than half shares in the Legislative Yuan, they have less than fifty percent of share in those who create their own personal websites. However, judging from the percentage of those who have websites in regard to their own party, the TAIP and New Party legislators, with more than fifty percent of them creating their own sites, are the most willing ones. (2) The research validates that politicians are experts of self-presentation. There are 70% of legislators using one or more self presentation strategies in their website and presenting various kinds of images in front of citizens. Self-promotion and ingratiation strategies are utilized the most. In addition, female legislators use more ingratiation strategies and present more professional image than male legislators. (3) There are 80% of legislators using at least one or more feedback mechanisms in their websites. It shows most of legislators realize the significance of their interaction with Internet users. But further analysis reveals that they didn’t try to use the advantages brought from the Internet-based interaction, as there are nearly 40% of their websites having only one feedback mechanism. (4) Internet users think that the most important functions of legislators’ websites are feedback mechanisms such as email, guest book and discussion group, etc. But these websites aren’t doing a good job in providing feedbacks to their supporters. Judging from the evidence of users’ usage of email boxes and services of petition, those who have never received a reply from the websites are the majority, which means that while the legislators’ websites provide a space for public disclosure, there’s much room to be desired when it comes to the legislators’ and their staffs’ regards to the public opinion.