More Meta-Blog Type Nonsense (and further meditations on UK political blogging..)

Over on the left side of the US blogosphere a great fuss has been kicked up over a Brookings blog panel and the paucity of ideological balance in the panel itself. The starting point for this mass bout of kvetching was the inclusion of Wonkette on the panel and the contention from many US left-wing bloggers(Digby, Atrios etc..) and commenters that she doesn't represent left-wing bloggers in any shape or form. After perusing her site this would seem to be the case, with it merely being a Washington DC gossip column detailing the comings and goings of the powerful and well-to-do. So the US bloggers would seem to have a strong case that Wonkette is not representing them or their work effectively and thus giving a false impression of the strength of their political opponents.

From a UK perspective it seems quite amazing that bloggers get any kind of airtime or wider respect at all. We are the neglected step-child of political media in this country and due to various cultural and structural reasons don't occupy the same position as the US left-wing bloggers. The election is fortunately stimulating some interest with Radio 4, Newsnight and The Times trawling for political bloggers to chronicle the forthcoming campaign. So the old media in this country is trying to reach out to the nascent political bloggers, the more cynical might say co-opt; but I remain hopeful that if bloggers engage with say the BBC they can retain their unique voice while still being able to reach a larger audience. If traffic rises for the UK political blogs in the coming General election campaign then I think some kind of threshold will have been crossed, then maybe we'll start seeing Bloggerheads, Europhobia et al on Newsnight or on the radio. Well we can all dream....