Two similarly themed items here. The first one – this post over on Comment is Free wondering whether it makes sense to lament the decline of the right-wing libertarian (or bloggertarian) blog. The second item – Left Foot Forward’s observation that Liberal Conspiracy and their own site are now beating the main right-of-centre bloggers in their Wikio rankings.
Wikio measures inbound links rather than unique visitors and both Iain Dale and Guido Fawkes are still significantly ahead in that regard. But in terms of influence, it’s a marked change that is very likely to be the result of the change in government and the oppositional nature of a lot of political blogging.
Contrast this with the way that Newspapers have reacted to the change in government. With their ability to act corporately, the press are capable of providing a constructive level of support to governments if they choose to do so.
As a Labour supporter, I’ve had cause to gripe over the past few months about the way that the press are prepared to provide a following wind to the current coalition in pursuing it’s ideological instincts. At best, New Labour’s defining feature was a willingness to negotiate such support and select it’s policies based upon what it knew the press would permit. It had even largely given up trying that in the final few years of government.
Imagine this: Gordon Brown: “I’ve decided to merge large parts of our armed forces with the French.”
See what I mean?
So newspapers can impose a degree of support for a government if it suits them. The blogosphere – with it’s relative inability to dictate agendas – is less able to do this effectively. So are blogs always going to be mainly an oppositional tool?
Living in London, working as a trade union official in the film and TV industry (opinions my own). Author of “Save Democracy, Abolish Voting” (published by Demsoc in November 2017). Personal website with link to other writing here. On twitter as @paul0evans1
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