Clive Betts' latest post mentions the Holy Grail of blogging in these islands – making political blogs as influential here as they are in the USA.
Evidently chikentown takes up the theme by noting how bloggers are being invited to be part of the “press corps” in the presidential conventions.
There are some signs that British blogs are moving in the same direction. Some of the major blogs, such as Iain Dale's Diary and Guido Fawkes have a large daily readership.
But what about Welsh blogs?
One of the problems with the MSM in Wales is that we don't have a national newspaper. The Western Mail may call its self the National Newspaper of Wales, but the only way that I can obtain a copy in my local newsagent is by placing a regular order. The Manchester Evening News can be bought off the shelf!
The same problem exists with broadcast media. Aerials are turned towards England rather than Wales. I recently asked for a FreeSat card from Sky, and I had problems trying to persuade them that I wanted Welsh channels in the top four spots – rather than the default north west of England channels that they gave me as "appropriate for my postcode".
So sod the American experience. How do we make sure that the Welsh blogosphere doesn't suffer from the same difficulties as the Welsh press and Welsh broadcasting?
I suspect that the core of my Welsh readership is incestuous, made up of other Welsh poli-bloggers reading my posts in the hope that I will read theirs. I also suspect that more Welsh readers read Iain Dale than read any individual Welsh blog .
If blogs are going to play a part in the politics of the future, then Welsh bloggers need to work out how at least a few of us are going to reach out to thousands, rather than dozens, of Welsh reader. Otherwise we will suffer the same fate as the traditional media, where people remain ignorant of what is going on in Wales, because they only get news and views from English blogs.
I ask the question. But I haven't got a clue about the answer!
I think the issue is that welsh blogs do reflect the political situation here in Wales most are biast and partisan without adding anything new to the debates we should be having in about the current situation and the future.
ReplyDeleteThere are a few notable exceptions in the welsh blogsphere but you wonder if those in charge take any notice of them.
Well, I read your blog, because I want to. No other reason. We need to have a scurrilous, irreverent Welsh blogger. I have to be 'whiter than white' Because the BBC and the WoS's Spin Doctor are constantly on the lookout for and anything that might b epolitically incorrect.
ReplyDeleteThe Welsh blogosphere will never be as important or influential as certain bloggers want it to be. The same can be said for the British scene. As widely read as Guido Fawkes and Iain Dale are they not as important as they want or claim to be.
ReplyDeleteAs for the Welsh blogs being made up of partisan and biased hacks, well show me a corner of the blogosphere that isn't. Can you really?
The way forward is to keep on plugging away, to keep pricking the bubble of the Welsh 'media' and to keep highlighting the fact that we in Wales are being shortchanged by the Occidental Mule and the BBC.
The more irreverent and funny we are whilst doing it the better.
Seems to me that if you want wide readership it has to be through gossip and or major revelations.
ReplyDeleteThat's not why I blog, maybe we should all ask why we do it.
If its for fame, then why don't we use our own names. If its for influence, then there are far better ways to do that too.
I started bloging to get issues out of my system, now well Its a way of sometimes flagging up information that's ignored, of bantering and sometimes of getting a smile out of people who can be very serious about themselves.
Guido and Ian D, they bore me and so do the people who respond to them. I tend to read much wider than Wales and politics and may be I will move to a different style in the near future, who knows. One thing that is very evident about the blog world, it is very male dominated, just like the print media, so may be we should be encouraging more women to come in!
As for the Welsh blogs being made up of partisan and biased hacks, well show me a corner of the blogosphere that isn't. Can you really?
ReplyDeleteI was talking about the party political blogs David, our journos are too incipid to be biased and partisan.
Is there a Welsh Blogging Roundup, in the style of Britblog or Scottish Roundup? They give readers a set place to go to every week to take a look at a distilled version of the topics being covered by bloggers.
ReplyDeleteIt's not an organisation in the style of the American MBA, but it provides a focal point, with readers knowing that something comes out for them to read every week. Maybe it's worth a shot?