BBC appoints digital correspondent for Election

The BBC’s technology correspondent, Rory Cellan-Jones is to take up a new, temporary position as the Corporation’s digital election correspondent from tomorrow (10 March). He will be covering the the General Election before returning to his former post.
He writes on his blog: "I'm taking up a temporary position as the BBC's digital election correspondent, with the job of examining how politicians and voters are using new technology in the run-up to the general election. I will still keep an eye on the rest of the technology landscape, but the blog will gradually become infused with the political scene."
Cellan-Jones adds: "There are doubts about just how big a role social media played in the Obama campaign - good old-fashioned e-mail seems to have been the key weapon - and about whether methods which work in the United States where voters and money coalesce around invidual politicians rather than parties can translate to the UK.
"Nevertheless, I do think that new technology will mean this election will be very different from the previous one - and there will be plenty for me to get my teeth into. In 2005, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and smartphone apps either did not exist or had yet to have much effect; this time, the parties and the voters will all be working out how to use them to their advantage. The effect of technology will be felt in two areas: the organisation of the campaign and the acceleration of the news cycle."