Political Blog: Because I have an opinion

So whats a political blog anyway?

A political blog is a type of written journal (it also can adopt different formats) that focuses on the topic of politics. Whether to rant or rave these blogs provide a unique outlook or point of view that differs from traditional media such as television, radio, and newspapers. Often these standard “uncontrolled media” outlets are criticized for being part of large conglomerations that may have certain political agendas.

the right to vent...

Freedom of speech and the right to pass judgment on the government we live in is a fundamental right. Although sometimes these rights are curbed or limited in lieu of public safety (such as during war time), it is still never the less the right of everyone to voice there opinions.

Bias...

“Political blogs often have a clearly stated political bias. Although mainstream media news is often presented as impartial, bloggers believe that it does in many cases have a hidden political agenda. Stating political bias at the outset is therefore seen as being more honest. On the other hand, blogs are often seen as being too anonymous and lacking in factual reliability to be trustworthy. However, they can serve as a soapbox for opinions not represented in mainstream media.^”

And the blog I chose is...

The blog I have focused on is called Finnerty’s Democratic Blog You can use the following link to get there: http://www.seanfinnerty.com/

Sean Finnerty started his blog in March of 2005. He focuses on local and national politics. As a citizen of New York, his blogs tend to focus on state policies. Finnerty is 28 years old and born in May 21-June 21 (the information on his profile stated that he was a Gemini.) He works as a political campaign staffer, so he is does has some amount of expertise on the subject. I was also unable to get a rank on technorati for this blog.

I was fairly impressed with Finnerty’s blog. It is written clearly and concisely in a rather easy to read format. Although it is obviously slanted (as Sean himself has clearly stated simply by the title of the blog), he does a good job at being as fair as possible. He uses quotes, outside information, and videos to keep the reader interested. He does employ the use of comedy to poke fun at things he disagrees with but he is never outright nasty (which is very impressive.) Excessive mudslinging leaves a bad taste in any reader’s mouth and it isn’t persuasive in the least. (We have all seen the annoying commercials and don’t need them in written format)

According to Alina Thorton’s : Does Internet Create Democracy ?

“Communication in modern democracies can be broadly divided into two main notions (Dahlgren, 1995):

1. a democratized media, or participatory and alternative media including computer-mediated communication; and

2. social movements and groups using these media actively for social change."

I will attempt to argue that blogs absolutely affect local politics:

Since social movements use media for social change, one can argue that a large social movement centers on elections, politics, and new policies. The internet is a form of media and uses things like Youtube, Online Radio, and Written journals (which a blog is) to promote change.

For an example look at the Youtube political debates, this is one example of how the internet affects politics.

When looking at internet blogs it is simply a matter of getting your opinion out to others. In traditional media not everyone is able to voice their opinions. For example with television not everyone is able to have their own show & furthermore biased opinions are often represented. With newspapers you might be able to get an article in your local opinion column but still you have limits on your audience (limited to subscribers and people in your region.) It is still a rarity to get your opinion in the paper. A blog is a wonderful way to voice you opinion because you literally have an unlimited potential audience. It also works great because there is no limit to the amount you post and almost no limit in what you say.

Sources:
Thornton, A. (2002). Does Internet Create Democracy? Retrieved October 23, 2007 from http://www.ublearns.buffalo.edu/com125

Political Blog. Wikipedia. Retrieved October 26, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_blog

Link to assignment 9