Guardian - Hazel Blears MP(Labour) - Nihilistic New Media
let me say that we are witnessing a dangerous corrosion in our political culture, on a scale much more profound than previous ages, and the role of the media must be examined in this context.... But mostly, political blogs are written by people with a disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy. Unless and until political blogging adds value to our political culture, by allowing new and disparate voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge, and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair.
But mostly, political blogs are written by people with a disdain for the political system and politicians, who see their function as unearthing scandals, conspiracies and perceived hypocrisy.
Unless and until political blogging adds value to our political culture, by allowing new and disparate voices, ideas and legitimate protest and challenge, and until the mainstream media reports politics in a calmer, more responsible manner, it will continue to fuel a culture of cynicism and despair.
Telegraph - Michael Gove (Con) - Barack Obama's campaign makes UK politics look antiquated
There are powerful lessons from the Obama campaign for politicians here. The first, of course, is, the technology, stupid. The internet and blogosphere are powerful tools but they change the relationship between politicians and the electorate, forcing us to work harder. Used properly, the net can allow direct communication with voters. Several colleagues of mine have followed the lead of the Shadow Housing Minister Grant Shapps, who keeps his constituents informed about his actions every week through a formidable e-mail network. But it is also true that citizen journalists can use the net to expose political hypocrisy faster, and challenge the spin which the mainstream media have accepted.[....] effective organisations must be decentralised if they are to combine agreed purpose and fast, effective and adaptive action among large numbers of people.
But it is also true that citizen journalists can use the net to expose political hypocrisy faster, and challenge the spin which the mainstream media have accepted.[....]
effective organisations must be decentralised if they are to combine agreed purpose and fast, effective and adaptive action among large numbers of people.
That last paragraph is an interesting one for me as I've long speculated that the Blair-ite fetish for message control meant that Labour cou;dn't possibly harness the internet as the Democrats have done. Indeed some discussions I had with Migeru showed that the Lib Dems simply didn't get the idea of de-centralisation. It was all about top-down message control : Which is against the entire purpose of the lessons of dKos etc keep to the Fen Causeway
The 'culture of cynicism and despair' will disappear when we get pols and civil servants who are professional, insightful and forward thinking.
Shooting the messenger is hardly an answer here.
However, I don't see it happening... once trolls are bedded in, they are really hard to get rid of. Besides, the Guardian is purposefully choosing articles with a right wing stance to:
a) Generate more flame wars (more hits) b) Please the American audience (many of whom are "libruls" but on things like foreign policy that puts them on the right-wing for the UK.
I guess my hope is that once Labour loses the next election, the "opposition effect" plus the poisoned state of CiF should help some decent lefty blogs to emerge.
there really is no non-Marxist based liberal socialism in this country. nobody understands co-operatives, nobody remembers methodist leftism. Just crappy watered down leninism for the believahs. keep to the Fen Causeway
dKos and the rest are industrial cash machines. I can imagine a lefty blog collecting cash to buy media time - rather like the atheist bus campaign - but that's a very indirect way of getting your point across.
Direct campaigning on specific issues is largely useless. You can have your camping holiday and your fifteen minutes of media attention, but the effect on national policy will be zero. Local issues may be more successful, but the anti-populist mindset is so entrenched in government that the faintest whiff of attempting to define policy will have the police opening a terrorist file on you.
What's missing in the UK is direct political accountability. It would certainly be possible to increase that, but none of the ways I can think of are likely to be popular with their targets, and some of them are likely to be very unpopular indeed - even though really all we're talking about here is basic investigative journalism.
