Peter Franklin: Blogging - Revenge of the mainstream media

If there was a list of the top 100 listmakers, there’s a good chance that Iain Dale would take first place (and not because he’d be the one compiling the list). Though he’s branched out since, his listmaking media empire was founded on his unrivalled knowledge of blogs and blogmen. If you want to know who the 53^rd best blogger in Rutland is, just ask Iain.

It’s great that such an immense variety of people are able to share their thoughts without having to stand on street corners ranting at passers-by – but is anyone listening? In particular, are those in positions of influence paying heed to the blogosphere? Busy people don’t have the time to read through a list of 100 blogs, let alone read the blogs themselves. But, make no mistake, they do read some of them. What’s more it’ll be much the same collection bookmarked on browsers across the Westminster village.

Which ones are they? Rather than reel off a top ten or twenty, I’ll just keep going until my list comes to a natural conclusion (and don’t worry, this won’t take long): We’ll start off with the big three – Conservative Home, Guido Fawkes and, of course, Iain Dale. To these one ought to add the somewhat distinct, but hugely popular, Political Betting.

Next up, it’s Comment Central – an indispensable service courtesy of Danny Finkelstein and his colleagues at the op-ed pages of the Times. Then there’s the Spectator’s Coffee House blog, also worth checking several times a day. The Daily Mail’s Ben Brogan is another must-read. If you’ve got any time left, you might want to add the BBC’s Nick Robinson and Sky’s Boulton and Co to your regular beat. And that’s about it – though the Telegraph’s new Three Line Whip may make it a full top ten.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are many more brilliant blogs out there, but the nine I mention are the ones that make waves in Westminster and beyond. Of this number, the first four are the work of non-journalists and have been around for some time. By way of contrast, the other five were all pupped by the mainstream media in the last year or so. In other words the big news in the blogosphere is that the hacks are biting back. I guess you could call this a tribute to Messrs Montgomerie, Fawkes and Dale – but it is deeply disappointing that there are no new independent bloggers in the premier league.

On a more positive note the newly mainstreamed blogosphere is as lopsided as ever, with leftwing journos as unable to produce a topflight blog as their amateur counterparts. The closest it gets is the Guardian’s Comment is Free – except that it isn’t really a blog, more a vastly expanded op-ed section. As a format, it has it merits, but there’s just too much sprawl to provide the immediate news-hit you get from the best of the proper blogs.

That the Left still can’t blog is scant comfort to those on the Right who dreamed that blogging would change the world. The big three blogs may have forced the mainstream media to join the revolution, but do we really want the hacks taking over? In an especially ominous development, the Spectator has annexed a number of previously independent blogs, and now fronts Stephen Pollard, Clive Davies and Melanie Phillips alongside its Coffee House. These three are as good as ever, but where will it end?

A well-written, well-read blog that falls under nothing but its own masthead is a magnificent thing and I wouldn’t want to see that lost. On the other hand, a paycheck is pretty cool too; so if you’re reading this Matt D’Ancona, do get in touch!

Comments

[James Cleverly]

It's a free market. No one is forcing anyone to read the blogs you listed, they do so because they are good. The last thing we need is blogging protectionism.

Also it is worth bearing in mind the fact that things like Google alerts and RSS feeds change the way people consume media. I have set up a number of alerts covering issues that I am interested in (yes including my own name) and the news comes to me.

[Peter Franklin]

Certainly wasn't advocating blooging protectionism or regulation, James

The idea of an OfBlog is too horrible to contemplate

[hamish]

What about the Indy's new OpenHouse? Shows the left beginning to get its act together, with the likes of Steve Richards, Johann Hari and John Rentoul posting.

[cityunslicker]

Media blogs are eating their own lunch. By generating new content online they hasten the fall of their dead tree cashcow.

Pure online bloggers have built from the bottom up and have a lower cost/reward model.

Thus economically there is no reason to think that the traditional MSM will win in the end; they may just be fighting a war they can't win.

[Paleo Man]

Peter Franklin has a very narrow, rather English perspective. It is heaterning that no one seems to bother with the left-wing Platform 10!

I read several top US-based bloggers and comentators, e.g. Andrew Sullivan, Lew Rockwell, Patrick Buchanan, Taki and his co-writers like Paul Gottfried (on Takimag). The American Spectator, American Conservative and Chronicles magazines have excellent, frequently updated content too.

[Paleo Man]

I forgot to add that true British Conservatives should read the Civitas, Social Affairs Unit and Adam Smith Institute blogs. They are the real alternative to boring, PC tosh that you find in the MSM. Why did Franklin not mention them?

[Tony Makara]

What surprises me is that there are not more fake sites being set up to throw a spanner into political debate. We saw Andrew Neil today happy to quote from a deleted blog, and that set me to wondering how damaging it could be if fake blogs were set up attributing false quotes, ideals and activities to certain politicans. What would be the law in regards to such activity?

[Serf]

As a exblogger, I have to say that most of us just don't have enough time.

[John F]

The most interesting thing about blogs is that they show peoples reactions to stories.
Take the donorgate scandals, before the scandal broke most blogs, eg Sky, BBc etc had blog figures never more than 20.
After donorgate most blogs ( including press blogs)were in 3 figure territory and all negative reaction to Brown and Nulab.
The reaction to many of the articles written in the blogs post Browns Bottling event have been overwhelmingly negative and, in some cases hostile.
My feeling is that the public opinion, especially in England, has developed into anger and contempt for Brown and his gang.
I think we can be sure that, with this governments now nationally and internationally renowned reputation for incompetence, sleaze and lack of integrity, there will be nore revelations in future ,, resulting in more hostile and negative blogging and a Tory win at the next General Election

[englandism.com]

And also. All hail the rise and rise of single-issue politics and the influence that the interweb has empowered for the great unwashed.

The purpose of Englandism was originally to flog T-shirts on the back of a World Cup long long ago and to blatantly provoke outrage by playing to the theme of English xenophobia and arrogance. What was unexpected was that I would end up being emailed by assorted Johnny foreigners wanting me to contribute to various newspapers and radio shows from the ‘English’ perspective.

Some of the great and the good in British politics have exchanged mail with me and I have seen posts that I have made used and adapted by the mainstream media and politicians and images that I have created are all over the net: If a student wants an image of Gordon Brown, for example, via Google image they will get my interpretation.

This is not viewed with conceit but more with bewilderment.

[DavisFan]

My wife prints out the Social Affairs Unit pages for me every night so that I can read its clear-sighted and intelligent commentary without needing to go near COMPUTERS.

It is a shame that their weblog is not available as a newsletter so that I can read it unaided.

Their no-questions-asked, anti-beancounter stuff is exactly what we need to cut through the namby pamby "that's illegal"/"that doesn't add up"/"that's incoherent rambling" brigade which has seized our Party Leadership.

Let me tell you, I have never, and will never, use a computer.

[Paleo Man]

"Let me tell you, I have never, and will never, use a computer."

So who writes DavisFan's posts? His wife?

[jaq]

Yeah I read Am Con and Takimag too. I also read Slate when time permits and Reuters I find good for news. For blogs I particularly like Boris Johnsons. Most blogs are just an on-line letters to the editor but Boris and his excellent moderator promote discussion, of an issue on his blog in response to posts Boris has written, and he provides a discussion forum where he can see what people themselves choose to discuss. Boris has got to win points for that.