David A. Karpf
Associate Professor of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University
Chapter Member: Maryland-Washington, D.C. SSN
Areas of Expertise:
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About David
Karpf's research focuses on internet politics; political communication; political blogs; online organizing; and qualitative methods.
Contributions
How Efficient Internet Communication Undercuts American Civic Institutions
Key Findings Brief,
In the News
Quoted by Barbara Ortutay and Amanda Seitz in "Online ads still Vulnerable to Manipulation in US Election," Greenfield Recorder, January 31, 2020.
Research discussed by , in "What the Hell is ActBlue? And Why is It Showing Up On So Many Democratic Candidates' Campaign Finance Reports?," Minneapolis Post, August 17, 2018.
Interviewed in "The Ever Changing Role of Digital Media in Our Political System," Iowa Public Radio, August 3, 2018.
Quoted by Evan Halper in "Was Cambridge Analytica a Digital Svengali or Snake-Oil Salesman?," Los Angeles Times, March 21, 2018.
Quoted by Peter Overby in "Trump Powers Small Dollar Donor Surge for Democratic Fundraising Site," NPR, February 27, 2018.
Quoted by Alvin Chang in "MSNBC and CNN Took the NRA’s Bait on Arming Teachers," Vox, February 26, 2018.
Quoted by Alexis Sobel Fitts in "Don't Blame Social Media for Celebrity Politicians. Blame Everyone," Wired, January 16, 2018.
Quoted by Steven Nelson in "Trump Team Ignores White House Petitions after Talk of Pulling the Plug," Washington Examiner, October 27, 2017.
Quoted by Jack Shafer in "Week 21: Hunting Trump like He's Pokemon," Politico Magazine, October 14, 2017.
Opinion: "People are Hyperventilating over a Study of Russian Propaganda on Facebook. Just Breathe Deeply.," David A. Karpf, The Washington Post, October 12, 2017.
Quoted by Derek Willis in "Facebook Says Experiments Prove Ads on Its Site Can Spur Donations," New York Times, December 22, 2014.
Opinion: "The Reason Why Your Inbox is Flooded with Political E-mail," David A. Karpf, The Washington Post, December 2, 2014.
Quoted by Nancy Marshall-Genzer in "Cable Eclipsing Broadcast for Political Advertising," Marketplace, October 17, 2014.
Quoted by Derek Willis in "How ActBlue Became a Powerful Force in Fund-Raising," New York Times, October 9, 2014.
Quoted by Nancy Scola in "Inside the Collapse of the FCC’s Digital Infrastructure — And the Rush to Save It," The Washington Post, September 24, 2014.
Research discussed by , in "Online Voter Registration Still Not Happening in Most States," US News and World Report, September 24, 2014.
Opinion: "Change.org and the Dilemmas of Success," David A. Karpf, TechPresident.com, June 19, 2012.
Opinion: "Wisconsin and the Limits of Web Power," David A. Karpf, The Guardian Online, February 25, 2011.
Publications
"Social Science Research Methods in Internet Time" Information, Communication, & Society 15, no. 5 (2012): 639-661.
Discusses the new challenges that scholars face in the Internet age. Proposes that we promote the values of “transparency” and “kludginess” in order to meet the new challenges and produce timely and accessible research.
"The MoveOn Effect: The Unexpected Transformation of American Political Advocacy" (Oxford University Press, 2012).
Describes the new wave of “netroots” political organizations and highlights how they differ from their more longstanding interest group peers. Recipient of the 2013 “Best Book Award” from the American Political Science Association Information Technology & Politics Section.
"Online Political Mobilization from the Advocacy Group’s Perspective: Looking Beyond Clicktivism" Policy & Internet 2, no. 4 (2010): 7-41.
Argues that debates over “clicktivism” are fundamentally pursuing the wrong question. Simple acts of participation, online or offline, occur within a broader campaign context. This article discusses how the broader campaign context alters the value of digital participation.