I have written an article for this week's Tribune Magazine on the differences between the right and left wing blogospheres. It's too long to post here but you can read it on my website HERE. It will no doubt upset some on the left, but just to make it upto them they can listen to my next Podcast with Tony Benn, which I will upload in the next couple of days.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Why is the Right Wing Blogosphere Predominant?
I have written an article for this week's Tribune Magazine on the differences between the right and left wing blogospheres. It's too long to post here but you can read it on my website HERE. It will no doubt upset some on the left, but just to make it upto them they can listen to my next Podcast with Tony Benn, which I will upload in the next couple of days.
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11 comments:
You know Iain, I think you could have been a journalist. I was one of those Labour bloggers struggling along on a couple of hundred hits a week, until I was 'discovered' by Iain Dale, blogging superstar, to whom I owe everything (well, nearly everything, Tom Watson got be started). Well, now I do find the comments column filling up a bit with Tories slagging me off, but like you, I prefer it if they use the rapier wit rather than the metaphorical blunt kitchen knife. So my advice to Labour bloggers is... comment on Iain's site, it gets you noticed by those 100,000 visitors and some of them will come over to see you, especially if you can do it with the odd quip (and don't slag off Mrs T. - they hate that).
>PoliticalHackUK (www.politicalhackuk.blogspot.com) takes a more simple view. He reckons if we'd had the blogging revolution starting during the 1980s, there would have seen a huge number of anti-Tory blogs. He points to the USA – which is light years ahead of the UK in blogging – where Democrat blogs tend to outnumber and out-shout those on the right.
And what's he smoking? Scalps for the rightwing blogs: Eason Jordan, Howell Raines, Dan Rather, Trent Lott (yes it was the right that forced him to resign for expressing nostalgia for segregation. Daily Kos candidates for office backed: 20. Winners: 0.
Got here at last. That couldn't possibly be a leading question by any chance could it?
I enjoyred reading the article Iain - and thanks for the mention. I really do believe that blogs play a part - I stress only a part - in helping politicians of all persuasions reconnect with people and as well as engage with the electorate in a more innovative and imaginative fashion.
Iain, from a partizan perspective, you're right, in many ways, Labour hasn't got many supporters, and Hack's analysis is sound. However, to say the "left" is unrepresented in the top blogs is to miss a few non-partizan, non Labour bloggers who are distinctly of the left.
Tim Ireland's Bloggerheads is one of the most read UK (political) blogs behind yourself, Home and Guido. Chicken Yoghurt is also very well read. I know that because of my stat counter; a link from either (and that happens a fair amount when I'm on form) is worth a few hundred hits normally.
I started blogging out of a sense of betrayal from this Govt. I've voted Labour in the past, but they've driven me to rejoin the LibDems, despite my (open) belief in market socialism. Owen Barder is a pro-Labour blogger worth reading, as is Dave at Ministry of Truth.
If Labour doesn't sort itself out, I'll be actively advocating and helping run a campaign to get people to vote Tory. That hurt me at a basic level, but it'll happen. As for getting comments and debates, I love them. And I get a fair few from cross the parties commenting fairly regularly.
Opposition feeds use of communication mediums to spread the message. I'm not sure I'd like to be a pro-Govt blogger in this current climate (the pro-Labour bloggers are mostly anti-ID, anti Home Office mess ups, etc as well).
Bob - so where your comments facility then ?
man in a shed - sorry, is that a sentence? Try again.
Iain, as an unreconstructed old leftie, I think the answer is that the "Right Wing Blogosphere" has proven refreshingly open to debate rather than dogma, your blog being a fine example. Too many of the left leaning blogs degenerate into petty tribalism & name-calling, often bringing to mind Python's "Life Of Brian." Debate is about being ready to consider other viewpoints & concede if they're worthwhile. It really saddens me to say that in the British political blogosphere there's no contest between left & right.
A fine article, and I hope it has the old class warriors at Tribune spluttering into their tea.
The Blogosphere, as you call it, is like talk radio but with even less influence. Both mediums are dominated by cranks and weirdoes (like me) with too much time on their hands. A few are lefties but most are simple-minded souls and very, very cross.....
PS why have you ditched the red banner head to your blog, I thought you were making a bid to join our side!
Iain, you should have been a diplomat. How many Tory bloggers have a staunch Labour following?
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