THE ROLE OF THE INTERNET IN POLITICAL COMMUNICATION AND ENCOURAGING POLITICAL CIVIC ENGAGEMENT IN CROATIA: THE 2007 ELECTION CAMPAIGN ON THE INTERNET

Undertaking a content analysis and analyzing the literature corresponding both to the role of the Internet in modern election campaigns (cyber campaigning), as well as that which assesses the crisis of public communication and the democratic potential of the Internet, this article explores: a) how and to what extent did Croatian political parties utilize the marketing potential of the Internet during the 2007 parliamentary elections; and b) how and to what extent did they use the Internet to encourage citizens (on or offline) to participate in the political sphere. The results indicate that during the 2007 Croatian Parliamentary elections, political parties only partially utilized the potential advantages of Internet marketing. An analysis of the elements of interactivity revealed that campaigning parties generally did not use the Internet as a means to engage voters. The results in this study, however, confirm a number of trends found in other countries. The use of the Internet as an instrument to engage citizens online and increase political participation has not confirmed the optimistic predictions surrounding this issue.