Thompson across platforms

Tonight on NBC's Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno, Fred Thompson announces his candidacy for the Republican nomination. Thompson's official web site will post his official announcement online at 12:01am 9/6.

Earlier in the evening, prior to this announcement being braodcast on Leno, Thompson ran this "pre-announcement" ad during the Republican candidates' debate which aired on FOX. The candidates criticized Thompson for not joining them to discuss the issues.

Note how the various media have been mobilized and utilized and how quickly the blogs buzz.

As we'll discuss in class later in the term, Barack Obama and other politicians have been using the web very effectively for a while. But it's impressive to see a made-for-tv campaign "event" unfold with all its Hollywood-inspired coordination and drama... all from the comfort of your computer screen.

Magazines: This week's Newsweek cover story
Mainstream News Sites Report: yahoo/ap
Blogs: Politico, Drudge Report