HALIFAX - Devin Johnston settles in comfortably before the camera and begins rattling off about strategic voting in the ongoing election campaign. Later, the Winnipeg-based pundit will write an article, maybe about polling trends among the major parties or the financial crisis in the United States.
Toiling away in a newsroom? Hardly. The 23-year-old works on a personal computer -- whenever he find time between university classes. Studying journalism or political science? Nope.
Whether it's vlogging or blogging, Johnston is part a "radical change" in how a wired generation is immersing themselves in politics and being heard, says Megan Boler, an associate professor at the University of Toronto who specializes in media studies.
"I think it's really inspiring and important that young people are engaged in blogging and other kinds of user-generated content," says Boler.
"This is the first time in history, it truly is, that young people's voices have a way to be produced and creatively expressed."
Johnston, a law student at the University of Manitoba, joined the New Democratic Party in his last year of high school, but he can't quite pinpoint when or how he became so fascinated by politics.
"I don't know where it comes from, I can't control it," he says with a laugh.
During the 2004 federal election -- the year Boler says traditional media began buzzing about blogs -- Johnston began writing online in a bid to support the NDP and convince others to do so.
Since then, his humble project has evolved to include video blogs, audio blogcasts and personal analysis of campaign issues, including health care and the economy. Some 1,500 unique visitors click on www.devinjohnston.ca a month.
Johnston is young, well-read and computer savvy -- and he's not alone.
There are a number of websites dedicated to bloggers of all ages and political stripes: www.bloggingtories.ca, www.newdemocratsonline.ca, and www.liblogs.ca, to name a few.
"Much is made of youth apathy toward politics, but those young people who do get involved in politics tend to get really, super involved," says Johnston, a London, Ont., native.
"I do think that blogging gives an advantage to young people who might not otherwise feel so empowered."
Keith Torrie, who authors a political blog from Dalhousie University in Halifax, agrees.
"I think there's something to be said for being able to give a forum to young people to be able to express themselves," says Torrie, 22.
"I think generally young people just want to be listened to and heard."
Don't be fooled by the young blogger's surname -- this Torrie is voting Liberal on Oct. 14.
The fourth-year political science student sticks mostly to posting links to news stories instead of writing his own analysis, but he isn't afraid to publish comments on keithtorrie.blogspot.com.
"Mr. Harper's Canada is not the one we want," reads part of a Sept. 25 entry.
Frank Cybulski, a young Conservative from Kingston, Ont., would likely debate Torrie on that point.
But the 19-year-old, who visits blogs daily, says young people are bound to find an online community where they fit in.
"They'd be surprised at the amount of people who have opinions similar to their own," says Cybulski, who blogs casually at purpletory.blogspot.com.
Cybulski keeps up on political news by reading stories from traditional media outlets, but when it comes to commentary, he says it's refreshing to read the opinion of someone his age rather than a seasoned reporter from a different generation.
Megan McAndrew, the president of the Nova Scotia Young Liberals, says young people would be wise to seek out traditional, non-partisan news, whether they're card-carrying supporters or casual observers.
Still, she says there's plenty of room for bloggers on the web.
"The value of them lies in the fact of understanding one more individual and questioning your own beliefs, and understanding yourself better and where you stand on different issues," she says.
Johnston says responsible bloggers should not purport to be political experts if they're really novices, but he stresses the beauty of blogging is that it gives anyone with Internet access a chance to have their say.
It's "the very notion of democracy," he says.
"People feel disconnected from their government, and that has to do with the fact that policies are created behind closed doors, and there isn't really any meaningful way that you can participate in the process."
The digital age has changed that, says Boler, and young people are keeping the momentum going at an impressive pace.
"I strongly believe that access to the means of production and distribution, the development of the video camera and now the cell phone that can do video, this has radically changed potential for young people to participate and have a voice," she says.
"I'm so excited about that."
