"Four years ago, Barack Obama kicked off his presidential campaign on the steps of Illinois' Old State Capitol, speaking in front of thousands of supporters and a throng of media," reports the Los Angeles Times. "Earlier this month, when he formally announced his reelection campaign, he did so without public appearance, in an online video."

The story by Seema Mehta suggests this shift represents a difference between the candidacies, "from one starring an upstart challenger to one featuring an incumbent president. But it also underscores how dramatically social media have become a defining force in modern-day politics."

Read the full article from the Los Angeles Times here.