When I asked readers last month to estimate how many MPs wrote a blog, those key
people at the forefront of our democracy, the answers revealed a total lack of awareness.
There were estimates as high as 300, when the truth is closer to 40.
I would now appreciate it if you could answer five speedy questions on my survey about MPs and blogging. The responses will be used for my research project about MPs and political blogging. I believe it is the first project of its kind which focuses on their two-way communication and I would like to thank MPs who participated in my SurveyMonkey questionnaire. I have had a 25% cross-party response and the answers are most illuminating.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PARTICIPATING.
I will share my findings with you in due course.
P.S. Many thanks to social media supremo Neville Hobson and Ross Ferguson, Director of the Hansard Society’s e-Democracy Programme, for their advice on my methodology. It worked!
done. I will be interested in your results.
Lady Ellee, Blogpower is trying to decide some vital issues at this moment but only 7 or 33 members have commented. Clearly, that’s no basis for a decision. Could you see spare a little time making your point of view known on the issues currently being discussed at Blogpower? James
I took the survey. The point which it didn’t address, but which I think is crucial to it all, is that MPs blogs will only be read and will only be useful if they respond to comments.
That means that they are going to have to deal with all the issues of people trying to pick fights, and nitpick holes in their responses, in the way that Iain Dale has to deal with some of the visitors to his site.
Bishops Hill, That is a very important issue I am looking at in close detail in the survey I sent to MPs. I shall be closely analysing each of their blogs to see if they allow comments to be posted and how they respond. Your comment is spot on, many thanks.
Bishop Hill, The objective of this brief survey was to discover which MPs’ blogs are most popular and I will then analyse them and compare them against others.
Nourishing Obscurity, I shall now visit your site and complete your survey. Then I must start on my literature review. It will be heads down for the weekend.
A blog is only worth reading if it is written by the person posting. I don’t believe many MP’s would take the time to write it themselves;they would probably delegate. My interest in politics is practically zero. Why? Well I think I will post on that very soon.
Done. Surprised it’s only 40.
Hi Elle, I think the problem with politicians and MPs blogging is two fold:
1) The risk of putting or saying on print something that can be thrown back in their faces – after all one of the hardest things of making a comment, is not being free to speak your mind
2) All the unwanted comments they would get from people who oppose their party, their policies or their point of view – which would invariably outweigh more serious comments or debate – once you go online.
Imagine if when you have a panel on tv debating whatever the topic or issues of the day are – with a presenter (or moderator) inviting questions from an audience – and allowing the audience to interrupt the speaker, or to ask any question they will, or express their personal opinions about the panel
Well that is pretty much what you are up against when you go online – you need one a good SPAM filter, and two an editor to remove all the unwanted comments (and then risk accusations of censorship)
But once you overcome those hurdles, it should certainly enable better interaction with the public. After all if I stand for Ely and East Cambs, you can bet I’ll have a blog …
but I shall of course have to limit when I enable comments, and or only only allow those willing to give their name and address (not just e-mail) to comment. Well if someone is going to insult me online because of my views on a political issue, I reserve the right to either edit or delete their comment.
After all even radio programs have a ‘mute’ button in case a member of the public phoning in uses inadequate language and/or insults.
Whoaaa, just watched Alastair Campbell talking about his new book (2 million words) – summed up in Blair’s government will be judged by the outcome in Iraq
followed by David Cameron who let RIP:
labour are the people who impoverished private pension funds
labour are the people who introduced a thousand stealth taxes
labour are the people who made it impossible for me to see my GP after hours (9to5)
labour are the people who made it impossible to find an NHS dentists
And he said it with conviction, as if he could or would reverse it all.
I’ve no doubt that he would introduce tax relief for pension funds
I can’t see which stealth taxes he’d reduce
I can’t see what he’s goung to do about GPs, even Thatcher never had the balls to take on the BMA or doctors Unions
I can’t see what he is going to do about NHS dentistry, Conservatives enabled nhs dentists to go private, introduced fees which enable dentists to refuse patients who cannot pay.
(lol the thougt of Gordon Brown hugging David Cameron to death)
Having said all that
Elle, here’s wishing you another fine SUN Day!
Hi Ellee,
I didn’t take the survey since it would be meaningless from me, but I think this a great idea you have.
I’m not at all surprised the number was so low, most probably don’t even know what a blog is, but the amount of time needed to keep a blog active and relevant is enormous. So I would hope instead they are doing good things on behalf of their constituents. Mind you a staff worker could probably keep one going about the MP’s activities with occasional posts from the MP.
Hi Ellee, I have filled in the survey and agree with one of the comments above, that the question about whether MPs blogs will reduce spin depends (in my view) on whether they are writing it themselves or having it written for them by a press officer or similar.
Sheila
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