Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics

“Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics?”

 

1.       Why do the Democratic leaders embrace blogging as a potential political communication considering the traditional media landscape in politics?

·         Blogging is becoming increasingly more popular among democratic leaders. They are using blogging as a way to communicate political agendas better to the public. The traditional media landscapes that are usually used, can be both slanted and expensive. For example, FOX news is more right wing and conservative while CNN is left wing and more democratic. Also air time is increasingly hard to come by and very expensive.

 

2. Blogging encourages a participatory culture. In what way does the participatory culture in blogging expand digital media convergence?

·         If people within society equally contribute to the new culture in blogging it can expand digital media convergence. More and more opinions and voices will be heard starting through one single blog post. Soon after that it will grow and expand through many different types of mediums.

 

3.       In the article, the author says: “The ability of the Internet to erase geographical distances can become a structural weakness in elections where district lines and eligibility are key.” How can blogging counter this weakness in the process of turning the netroots to grassroots?

·         The internet gives people the ability to read something that was written thousands of miles away from them. This sometimes can be a negative aspect of a republican candidate’s election strategy. For example, in the state of Texas a republican candidate would initially do well there and win the state. However, with an increased number of people blogging this can potentially change. Democratic leaders and supporters of the

Democratic Party have the ability to blog about different issues they find important. The word could travel all the way to a state such as Texas changing the opinions of voters nationwide.

 

4. The author spends the second half of the article discussing the lack of diversity in current blogosphere dominated by elite bloggers. Please use the concept of digital convergence to explain how blogs can become the real bearer of freedom, democracy, egalitarianism, and participation in the new media communication?

·         Blogging is not just limited to an elite group of bloggers; blogging is accessible to everyone who has access to the internet. This means that everyone who has an opinion on topics that are crucial to societies function can comment on it. People in the United States have the ability to comment on everything and anything they feel necessary.