David Elkin Blogging Inc

For some, blogging is a pastime. Something to waste away a casual few hours spouting off their opinions on Paris Hilton and the latest Transvestite to win the X Factor. But for others, it’s a way of a life. A meaning to be. Their sole purpose waking in the morning is to type.

I am back.

Much like the return of former greats like Jesus Christ (he’s a superstar!), I have waited  a while. I have allowed the publics appetite to be cranked up to the maximum. But now, on this day, I have returned. And to quote Take That – “I’m back for good.”

More soon.

Factors that affect elections are numerous and embedded in society. Increasingly, the internet is becoming more and more part of the culture that many countries live in. Taking these two points, the question must be asked: Can the increasing influence of blogs begin to have a real affect on the voting conciousness?

At the moment: no. Not really. The traditional means to get elected still hold firm, with the internet becoming an increasingly important factor. But the rise of the internet’s affect does not necessarily correspond with the fate of the blogs. Sure, a news/blog site can still reveal scoop to drastically change the public opinion on an individual, but in the slow world of opinion polls revealing ad campaigns, corporate media and (God forbid!) actual policies still being the main contributors to public opinion, the independent bloggers of this world have yet to see real impact on the election.

Will this remain so? I don’t know. The fact remains that when it comes to setting the mainstream agenda the corporate press will still retain the power, even when it comes to the online world. The bloggers and similar such media players will still remain in the background of the situation, perhaps with something very important to say, but with significantly less listeners.

As alluded to in this “blog” before, interactivity is one of the mainstays of internet journalism, and a potential USP for the medium. Among the political blogs I have read, they retain this importance and are an integral part of how they work.

Taking what many of these news sites are: links to other stories, it is obvious that interactivity is one of the most important, if not the most important, feature of many sites. The concept of a site being a “terminal” from which to branch out to other stories is enshrined in the concept of interactivity. This is the case for many sites below and can not be underestimated when dealing with the features of political blogs.

On to the much alluded to the Drudge Report, much alluded to by me in earlier posts. Ranked at 11 in the Observers Top 50 most influential blogs, the report is perhaps the most controversial site dealing with the world of politics.

And why is this? Well, the site broke into the world of mainstream news when it broke the infamous Clinton-Lewinsky story in the mid-nineties. Recently it has been in the news after breaking the Prince Harry in Afghanistan ’scoop’. 

The site itself, from a design perspective, is probably one of the worst I have come across. The internet, in some peoples mind, does allow some scope for less than a professional approach to the design and navigation aspect of a website. But it is still news. And must be treated accordingly. The mere fact that the Report is basically just a links page to other news sites does not mean it should look like this. 

If you enjoy factual evidence and journalistic integrity in your news- don’t visit this site. If, like me, you feel the “exclamation point” should be left out of a news headline then don’t visit this site (I always felt that the exclamation point is an unnecessary addition to many people’s written sentences with particualar reference to them making a “funny”- the inevitable consequence being that it is, indeed, not funny.)

So, after finding out that the site is a mere gateway to other stories, the Drudge Report is a fine example of a site gaining popularity from a singular event, and thriving off the recognition with a lack of content and analysis to warrant such interest. Perhaps I may be too critical of the site in general, but it is hard to understand why the site remains so prominent (well, of course I understand why the site is so popular, but perhaps am not too happy about it.) So go check it out for yourself, don’t take my cynical word as your raison d’etre for internet blogging- I am merely one man, and can only do so much (well, twelve blogs to be precise.)

You can’t go anywhere- well I suppose you actually could- but when it comes to the media you can’t look anywhere without someone professing the importance of YouTube in modern politics. Well, they are right of course. The U.S Presidential election has seen the evidence and Obama has seen the greatest benefits of the medium. 

Political blogs are common place- but lack the creativity and imagination that video can provide, and this is shown in the popularity of political YouTube. I don’t care for the pranks and “comedy” videos put up about politicians and political figures- embarrassing impressions and poor editing. The fact remains and will continue to remain that politicians real-life actions and statements are better in every way. Beware the comedy songs about the Presidential Race as well- they will lower your expectations of the human race’s capacity to be creative. Check out the Presidential debates though, they are a perfect adversarial introduction to the real politics and the potential of the site for the future.

Going on to this for the first time- the much noted and praised Guardian newspaper website- the ‘political blog’ section is quite hap-hazard and confusing. Fair enough, it doesn’t possess aesthetic positives in any great sense, but there must be a reason why the site wins as many plaudits as it does:

Michael White seems to be the most championed and promoted blogger on the site, so naturally we should start with him. The natural assumption I think I can make is that of what a Guardian writer is- a left-wing idealist writing for a left-wing idealist paper. But enough about the organisation that is the Guardian itself- White writes some incisive stuff, British politics of course, and is everything I have come to expect from anything associated with the publication. His experience as a reporter in the newspaper world has transferred over to the online world- showing that the principles of both run the same lines and have the same boundaries and opportunities. 

What must be noted is his obvious use of linking throughout the blog- with what seems lile every third phrase a link to another fact-based incisive piece (probably by white himself) on a barely relevant topic. Your mind might get somewhat confused by the red-black colour scheme this produces- if you were not aware of the “benifits” of online ‘fluid’ content.

One of the many tag-lines reads: “I read it every day”- Adam Boulton, Sky News. Well, there’s a shock.

Those of you who don’t know who Iain Dale is- he is a Conservative Party fundraiser (actually, a failed politician) who, along with this blog, contributes to the media by appearing regularly on Sky News. Surely not. A scurrilous mind (or, perhaps, a logical one) might make a connection between the praise heaped upon Dale and the fact that all the heaping is being done by his colleague and friend Adam Boulton- at Sky News.

The blog itself, though, is a strange thing indeed. Not just covering the topics for which he should, the unstoppable Dale has split his wide-ranging talents into four neat sections for us plebs to decipher- ‘Politics: Gossip: Humour: Commentary.’ One man. Four topics. The fact that he talks about the same topics continuously, in the same style and manner surely means that all his posts contain the features above. Not only will you get your political fill for the day, but you’ll get some gossip on politicians, commentary on that gossip and maybe even a chuckle thrown in for good measure. Right.

Now to the serious business of the blog itself: There is no doubt, and certainly no denial from Dale, that there is a conservative slant on his issues and that is, of course, understandable. This, to his credit, does not stop him criticising Cameron or his own party, and to find that in this particular blog was refreshing and somewhat of a surprise. He is articulate, witty and incisive with his writing- that is all true- and if there was going to be a conservative blog than I suppose it may as well have all the features you would like to see. the question really, however, is- since when are the conservatives into blogging, or for that matter, the internet (or to take it further- electricity)? Well, this is all part of their new image, and Dale plays a large part in that on the web. Cameron has his podcasts, good-looks and youthful exuberance, he changed the parties’ logo to something resembling a ‘Green Party’ logo and the most popular blog on the internet for UK politics is a Conservative one. Iain Dale’s one to be precise. Not such a ‘conservative’ attitude to new technology from the foremost ‘conservative’ political party in Europe.

The layout of the blog is basic and straight forward. Blog after blog. No images. There is some light aesthetic relief provided by a small video in the corner, with Dale interviewing a couple of like minded tories on todays PMQ’s. It is strange to think this has grown to be somewhat of a big deal in UK politics. Perhaps, on a purely journalistic level, it is a positive reflection of the blog- that relies on its quality content over flash internet tricks. 

So I’ll allow another Dale tag-line to finish the proceeding in a deliciously apt way:

“The thinking-man’s blog.” Damien Green, Conservative MP.

Shock.

Starting with the biggest, and the supposedly most influential and popular web log means starting with ‘The Huffington Post‘. Created in 2005 by Arianna Huffington, it is seen by many (including the Guardian) as the most influential blog to be found on the internet. Why? Firstly, because of who Arianna Huffington is.

In 1986, Arianna married oil tycoon Michael Huffington (their divorce in 1996 being the main source of her substantial income) and indeed, married into his connections. A close personal friend of the Bush family, Michael’s connections were passed on to Arianna and shape the very nature of the HuffPo to this day. Rarely can a publication, and certainly a blog, boast the calibre and importance of many of the Post’s contributors. From the politcal, celebrity and all other spheres, the web site has a wide variety (of the left leaning bracket) of bloggers and writers. As well as this, the site acts as a pathway to other news stories- much like it’s politically differing rival ‘The Drudge Report’.

So what should we make of this blog then? (it is now actually a news website, retaining blogs but also with news stories and links). Is it right or in the spirit of internet journalism that such a person with such connections should drive the independent online agenda? The use of celebrities and the influential personal resources used to uncover news stories does explain the Post’s popularity, but popularity and journalistic morality rarely tread the same line. I have a feeling that the online community is the one and only place where you can realistically kick back against the right-wing publishing machine, where independent views and a non-vested interest attitude can be applied to the news. What independent perspective could possibly be expressed by a multi, multi-millionaire with her set clique of media friends and allies (albeit within a left-wing agenda)?

One must acknowledge the influence and praise that the Post has received from many quarters. Also, it’s record for breaking news and general ethos is commendable and an essential cyber counter-point to the Drudge Report. Taking all these factors into account there is somewhat of a clash in my media mangled mind- sure, I admit ‘the Post’ fits my personal view of what online blogging should be: a relief from the conservatives of the media and a respite from that strangulation of the ever-present right-wingers, but should this relief be presented in such a form?

You see, I do believe the Huffington Post to be a better than average independent news site. It’s record does speak for itself. However, I leave with one final point- in the somewhat ambiguous form of a question: Should this ‘kickback’ against the right-wing forces of the mainstream media be lead by a multi-millionaire and her clique of Hollywood chums and does this actually represent or fulfill the potential that internet news gives us? Answers on a postcard please.

The right to criticise a democratic government and their practices is one of the cornerstones of our political world. In the modern media this often equates to independent writers who are not constrained by the usual right-wing leanings of the mainstream publishing arena- the bloggers. Over the course of several blogs, I intend to cover the most influential and popular political blogs from many countries and analyse what influence their writings have on the electorate, and the on going fear with which the political mainstream view their activities.

As with all things political, and certainly all things personal, each undoubtedly has an angle and an agenda that, in theory, should be isolated from journalistic practices. As the blog comes under the scope of ‘personal opinion’, the constraints and moral codes that bind a print journalist on such issues do not fully apply- and mixing that with the agenda-ridden political world is certainly an aspect of the internet that i feel needs examined. Coupled with the moral aspects of the political blogging world, I hope to examine the quality and consistency of political blogs in comparison to the more mainstream press and other forms of media.