Must-read political blogs
By TRACY WATKINS - The Dominion PostI'm going to do something breathtakingly arrogant and hypocritical and use my first blog post in weeks to critique some of the other blogs around.
Why? Because I'm pretty confident that it's been so long since I last blogged that no one is reading and I can get away with it. I'm only going to cover the three main blogs that as a political journalist I consider useful reading.
The obvious place to start is David Farrar's Kiwiblog, which - I think this is right - has a readership equivalent to a small provincial daily.
I like David and he's definitely one of the sharper knives in the drawer around Wellington, but sadly he seems to have lost his mojo. Back when Labour was in power, he did a sterling job of running issues and was the outlet for the voice of opposition. But nowadays he seems to be floundering over his purpose. Cheerleading is okay but it's not why people started reading Kiwiblog.
Whale Oil: I'll admit it... once I got over my squeamishness, I quite enjoyed his blog. Utterly nihilistic and entertaining, though as a journalist, you had to seriously wonder whether it was worth the effort of pursuing some of his more half-baked news claims, given that as many didn't stack up as did. But fun to read all the same. I haven't taken at all to his new home on Gotcha - it's a hotchpotch, frankly. I have no idea why he made the move but maybe he had too many lawyers breathing down his neck?
The Standard: They have picked up where Kiwiblog left off and do a good job of running issues as the voice of opposition. It's a Labour blog in the same way Kiwiblog is a National blog, I guess, so it makes sense that they would fit more comfortably within the blogosphere now Labour is in Opposition. But The Standard is not yet required reading in the same way that Kiwiblog was during Labour's final few years in government.
There are of course a myriad of other political blogs that as a journalist I dabble in occasionally (I look out for entries on Pundit by David Lewis, for instance, because his insights as a former right hand man of Helen Clark are always useful).
Blogs these days are just another information stream and as a journalist you can't ignore them.
As for their general popularity, I don't know. I'm sure many of them do a better job than many news outlets of giving readers a sense of being "plugged in" to the political scene, especially since they operate outside the boundaries that often limit mainstream media (including any requirement for accuracy, balance, impartiality or even truthfulness). Which may explain why I read them on a professional basis and tune out completely when I'm in my own time. I'd rather be in the garden then sit over my computer searching out the latest political gossip. Which also makes me wonder whether there is much of a readership out there beyond those who, like me, have professional reasons to keep tabs on what political blogs say.
Or, as I suspect, do most people have better things to do with their time?
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Err, The Standard is neck deep with Labour and the Greens. It gets money from the EPMU and allegedly Labour. They ban commenters and are not a blog that stands toe to toe with Kiwiblog.
I can see why no-one is reading this. The Standard a decent blog? Oh me oh my
The blogs are great, all those press releases and tip offs from Labour politicians that the MSM re-print without question get critiqued and turned upside down when you get the real stories from the blogs. Witness the millionaire property tycoon wanting the benefit, the reduction of tertiary numbers which turns out was done during labours term, Pike river coal done under labour, the strinkingly beautiful lady exposed on the blogs, the list goes on and on. Basically they are doing the jobs of what journos should do and havent, the MSM is little more than regurgitated press releases and unless you guys lift your game you will permanantly lose your status and credibility.
I read you Tracey though it is a long time between drinks sometimes. How come you didn't critique either Frogblog or Red Alert http://blog.labour.org.nz/ both of which are must read to stay up with the play in any balanced sort of way.
Hi Trevor. I guess my response would be that as a journalist I'd hope that if anything on a political party blog was important then an MP would either tell me about it (not always the case I'd admit!) or that I'd be alerted to it through a press release. But maybe that's an assumpton that will evolve over time as blogs become increasingly important to political parties as a way of delivering an unfiltered message. And I suppose the traction you got from your comments re the Makutu sentence - which were posted first on your blog before being picked up by media - might reinforce that view among some of your colleagues (and opponents)!
Meanwhile, to Michael, you're quite right. And frankly, if I had some spare time on a day as nice as this, I wouldn't be reading it either.
Tracy
You owe it to yourself to subscribe to a few blogs, rather than relying on press releases. Seriously.
Tracey, Trevor's point is that if you are a regular reader of Kiwiblog and can't resist reading Whaleoil, then maybe a bit of 'balance' might be appropriate by checking out RedAlert? Do you honestly believe that the right wing blogs are 'independent' of their political machine? And have you ever been even slightly offended by the expletive filled bashings Whale dishes out to anyone who rationally disagrees?
Jennifer needs to read more of the right-wing blogs and you would benefit from it too. John Key has had much stick from the right-wing blogs over his stance over the smacking bill. He is often branded Liarbour-lite too. May I recommend Not PC, No Minister, Homepaddock, NZ Conservative, Crusader Rabbit, The Inquiring Mind, Cactus Kate, and of course my own blog, the Fairfacts Media Show for enlightened entertainment. The Tumeke! blog also lists many blogs that make its infamous rankings chart.
Lindsay Mitchell is also great on welfare issues. Then there is Liberty Scott. Dave at Big News. NZ Conservative for a religious view point. There's a whole range of them.
'National won't raise GST' - Key in 2008
PM on knife edge finding the cash to pay for changes
Outstanding student - five times over
Fire destroys newly renovated karate dojo
Outrage as Key signals national park mining
Outrage as Key signals national park mining
Conservation land could be mined
GST could go up to 15 per cent
Cook Strait swim attempt fails
Key announces benefit crackdown
Clearly no one is reading your blog Tracy either, except me.