Storyville: Blog wars on BBC4
Posted by DavidM in Interesting stuff | 14 January 2007
For those of you interested in how powerful blogging has become, there is a program due to be broadcast on BBC4 (Sky, cable or Freeview) on Wednesday at 10.30pm about how activists are using blogs to promote ideas and undermine opposition.
'Storyville: Blog wars' will specifically feature the role of blogs in the US elections in 2004 and 2006.
Not only is blogging now important enough to influence the outcome of elections, it's also serious enough for the BBC to make a program about it!
We've seen how blogs have played a part in disseminating the message about climate change - especially around Al Gore's 'An Inconvenient Truth' movie - as well as being used by opponents of his ideas to challenge his message and feed alternative data to the public.
I think blogging could yet have more influence. The fact that mainstream TV is only just making programs about it, along with other data, suggests there is still a big audience unaware of blogging.
However, the danger is that the publicity about activism and the dissemination of mis-information will undermine any credibility blogs may have, instead beingseen as the realm of the biased, wacky and unreliable.
But for every misinformed, lying, poisonous blog being written, there is a truthful, informed and even-handed one. Hopefully the BBC will show both sides.
I hope not, as the idea that real people can have honest and frank discussions, can get access to facts and hear others' opinions is what makes blogging so powerful.
Comments
Turned out to be a brilliant documentary, I had no idea there was an orchestrated campaign!