We'll be talking about political blogging. An uneven contest, especially since I'm the - alleged - sceptic in the line-up. And even more especially since I'm not in the least sceptical about blogging ... whatever that would mean.
What I am sceptical about is that blogging or any other form of social networking can fix what's bust about our politics and our political journalism. In fact, it's more likely to make them both worse.
Each new alliance of social media and politics has one or more of these claims made about it;
- it's an attempt to bridge the gap between politicians and the public
- it brings a voice to the conversation that's been marginalised by conventional politics and political journalism
- it enables direct communication between politician and elector without the mediation of broken political journalism
From what I see of the successful political blogs - let's take Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes for instance - they replicate the inward looking, metropolitan chumminess of the Westminster village that many in the audience find repellent in both politics and political journalism. Similarly, I'm left wondering what it is or might be that Benedict Brogan, say, or Daniel Hannan (political journalists both, politician the latter) might say in their blogs that they might not say in their columns, leaders or - in Daniel Hannan's case - addresses to the European Parliament.
It's inevitable, too, that - as Joe Trippi told Jeff Jarvis - politics on social networking sites will become dominated by 'makaka moment' videos ... accentuating rather than countering a similar trend in political reporting.
Crucially, though, no form of social networking bridges the gap that has to be bridged. And that's the one that used to be filled by party organisation that joined the civic conversation to political action - formally in the case of Labour and the Liberal Democrats, informally in the case of the Conservatives. It's fine to have a robust and energetic civic conversation ... but a conversation is exactly what it says it is; talk.
I can see how blogging enables that conversation; I can't see how ideologies are derived from it nor how political judgement and action are derived except in a nervy, fractured obedience to some assessment of 'the public mood'. Which is precisely the problem in the three way relationship between people, politicians and political journalism.
Let's see how Thursday goes.
4 comments:
Bloggings another way out for information that once stayed inside - be it organizations, Davos committee rooms, you name it. That's what makes good blogs - look at Bahrain's Mahmood al Yousif...
Agreed ... but my difficulty is seeing how that connects with making political decisions. My guess is that you and I would both like politics done differently - ditto (political) journalism. Thing is, Herr Doktor Gestalt, we are where we are and it is now. Talk, great; translate to action ... hmmm
I turned down the invitation to be on the panel because, well, some people do and some people talk.
But I can't let that "chumminess" line stand. I definitely have no interest in making friends at Westminster and have more than succeeded in that ambition. So what the hell is that all about?
If you mean, "knows his way round", well there wouldn't be much interest in a political gossip blog which didn't, would there?
Don't forget - it is only a blog, and it is intended to entertain not save the world.
Sorry you're not there ... would have been good to talk and do.
I stand by the "chumminess" line - not because you're looking for a pal or two but because your (excellent) blog fulfils all the criteria of the kind of political reporting that many - most - in news audiences reject.
The clue is your line "political gossip" - and that's kinda my point. Great for insiders; a locked door for outsiders. Sure, it's only a blog and isn't intended to save the world.
Problem is, if you do happen to think saving the world is worth it, politics is pretty much your only tool.
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