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Home / Washington Business - February 2006 / Technology: Dan Rather Felt the Sting of the Blog |
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Technology: Dan Rather Felt the Sting of the Blog |
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Written On: February 2006 |
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Written By: by Alexis Nepomuceno |
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Like it or not, technology continues to shape politics, public policy and information dissemination. Lobbyists call themselves the "Third House" in Olympia, implying their role in developing legislation. Technology-based activists might well call themselves a "Fourth House," as journalism's ivory towers are torn down and the power of the media elite slowly declines. As Dan Rather and his former producer Mary Mapes can tell you, the media now faces real-time accountability.
The most visible tool of this online grassroots movement is the Blog.
Blogs are online diaries available for public viewing and comment. A blog's power is derived from the ad-hoc community that develops around it. These online journals have paved the way for citizen activists who may have a strong opinion about a candidate or issue. Often, a like-minded web audience is drawn to a blog that offers "scoops" on news events or unique insights into current issues.
Blogging significantly impacted the 2004 elections even before "Rathergate." Presidential candidate Howard Dean harnessed blogs to create a national grassroots buzz about his campaign. Although his support base was thin and catered to the extreme left, his positions served as a powerful tool for online fundraising and grassroots organizing.
In this year's elections bloggers will sharpen their skills and expand their support base as they prepare for 2008. And, good bloggers are not unskilled amateurs. Many are highly accomplished people beyond just the Internet. Blogging will play a continued role in enhancing one's news-gathering experience, but it won’t replace traditional media.
Political parties and campaigns will maximize blogging as a marketing tool, disseminating news releases and puff pieces. Don’t be misled. Blogging's true power comes from individuals. Effective blogs are personal in nature — ordinary people sharing unique insights, opinions and information.
Blogs confer neither a Republican nor Democrat advantage. Although the most prominent example in 2004 benefited the Bush/Cheney campaign (Rathergate), a study released by Pew Internet & American Life Project revealed that there were 7,151 liberal blog posts compared with 6,716 conservative posts during the latter part of the 2004 presidential campaign (based on the top 16 liberal and conservative blogs at the time).
Soon blogs will become real-time action alerts for organizations and issue-based movements. A great blog provides new information and insider perspectives previously exclusive to caucus hacks and over-paid consultants. Blogging cultivates a new breed of "deep throats," providing whistle-blowers and silent majorities an instant platform to get information out faster than newspapers, television or radio. Suddenly, low-level staffers and unknown citizens have a conduit to supplant agency directors, legislators and party bosses. Left unfiltered, such movements may forever change the way issues are heard and acted upon.
Questionable statements during Senate hearings may create a public scandal, while in the past these would have been just another footnote in a staff report. Off-hand comments made by caucus leaders in the past might be published throughout the web. Or, last-minute negotiations on a key amendment that marginalizes a particular group may spur an online movement to unseat a particular politician.
Expect the blogging phenomenon to continue in 2006, but don't expect a Rathergate-type event as the mainstream media has learned that plagiarized content or unsubstantiated stories will likely have to answer to a conscientious blogger somewhere. Policy makers will probably learn the same lesson very soon.
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