the VoxPolitics blog: NEW - Voxpolitics Seminar
BLOG RULE
Can Weblogs Change Politics?
A VoxPolitics Seminar
14th July, 5:30 - 7.00pm
Committee Room 20, Upper Committee Corridor, Houses of Parliament
Weblogs (‘blogs’) and associated ‘social software’ tools have been this year’s big news online. But can they be used politically, and if so, how and to what end?
In America, blogging politicians are becoming common. Presidential Candidate Howard Dean, the emerging poster-boy of e-Democracy, is pioneering the use of new technologies to raise money, organise supporters, and get his message out. The forthcoming presidential election will be the first election blogged in real time, both by politicians and observers. In other ways bloggers have begun to affect the mainstream of American politics, with a hand in the resignation of Trent Lott, the sacking of Jason Blair, and the prosecution of the war on Iraq.
A couple of British MPs have also started weblogs, along with a handful of councillors and other activists. But will these new tools, and those who use them, make any difference to mainstream politics? Can they be a useful way for elected representatives to communicate to their constituents and supporters? And can citizens use them to be political, either by running campaigns or scrutinising those in power?
This Voxpolitics seminar will examine these issues, and ensure a lively discussion.
An interesting seminar and as it says no doubt a lively discussion. Although I rarely blog (or talk) about politics these days, my degree (B.A. Hons) is in Politics, and so this type of discussion is always of profound interest.
I would love to attend and therefore blog :) - have to see if I can.
Posted by Paul Goodison at July 7, 2003 02:03 PM | TrackBack