Social Media and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election
Our Privacy Policy has been updated! The Conference Board uses cookies to improve our website, enhance your experience, and deliver relevant messages and offers about our products. Detailed information on the use of cookies on this site is provided in our cookie policy. For more information on how The Conference Board collects and uses personal data, please visit our privacy policy. By continuing to use this Site or by clicking "ACCEPT", you acknowledge our privacy policy and consent to the use of cookies. 

Social Media and the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election

This study’s assessment of the role that social media played during the 2008 US presidential campaign confirms some widely held tenets of conventional wisdom about social media, but it also indicates that the role of social media as the new sine qua non of American politics is far from certain. While there is no shortage of examples of ways in which social media such as Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook played a facilitating role in the unfolding of the 2008 election, there is little hard evidence that any of these social media venues actually drove discussion, participation, or outcomes.

This report was originally published by the Society for New Communications Research, which officially merged with The Conference Board in January 2016.


OTHER RELATED CONTENT

RESEARCH & INSIGHTS

Global Forecast Update

Global Forecast Update

October 17, 2025 | Article

CEO Confidence Survey Quarterly Report

CEO Confidence Survey Quarterly Report

October 16, 2025 | Article

Tariff Tracker

Tariff Tracker

September 30, 2025 | Additional Resources

WEBCASTS

Economy Watch

Economy Watch

November 12, 2025

Labor Markets Watch

Labor Markets Watch

November 19, 2025

Economy Watch

Economy Watch

December 10, 2025