The Change Mariner

Blogs: Lasting Impact On Politics

WSJ.com (subscription):

Blogs, for instance, have been closely identified with the Dean campaign from the start. These are personal, frequently updated Web pages that typically contain short essays on sundry topics. The early Dean blogs, created by backers of the former Vermont governor, had an earnest charm to them. They were fully supportive of the candidate, of course, but had a quirky and independent cast, on account of being free of the spin of the official campaign.

Now, not only does every major candidate have a blog, but new political blogs are being added daily. These blogs look like America: bitterly divided between pro-Red State and pro-Blue State.

These blogs are becoming an alternative-news universe, giving everyone with a PC and a Web connection access to the sorts of gossip that was once available only to reporters on the press bus. At a site like Feedster, which is to blogs what Google is to Web sites, you can track the rumor du jour. And what Napster did for MP3s, blogs are doing for news -- or, at least for rumors. They are eliminating the gatekeepers and all barriers to entry.

Posted by Timothy Fredel at February 23, 2004 12:07 AM | TrackBack
Related Categories: Industry - Internet | Quadrant - Political | Quadrant - Technological | Theme - 'Digital Impact'

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