A bit of a mixed bag kind of day today. It started off with the printer running out of ink and me breaking my glasses. Lots of squinting ensued! I also had to do the laundry which is very dull but at least gave me the opportunity to make good progres through the Christopher Meyers book. It seems George W is quite smart after all. It's just he's not very good at public speaking. Well I never!
Small local difficulties aside, I’ve now finished my third interview, with Angus Mulready Jones. At 23 he’s very young for a councillor, wouldn’t you say? Well, if ever there was an example of a young person interested in politics …
In actual fact I would say that of those interviewed so far he seemed to be the most sceptical about the potential for new media in helping tackle political engagement. But I’ll have to go over the recordings of the interviews again once I’m finished to make sure my perceptions aren’t wrong.
While I was over at the Town Hall, I also left a few questionnaires in the pigeon holes of councillors who had previously expressed an interest in this project. I think I might just leave a copy for everyone next time I go over there. It won’t do any harm. Besides, I think I need 25 per cent of the council to respond which means 14 or 15 councillors so there’s still a bit of work to be done on the recruitment front.
Wednesday, 2 May 2007
Monday, 30 April 2007
New Appointment
I’ve got myself another interview for this coming Wednesday with Labour Councillor Angus Mulready Jones. I’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone as I had already planned to head over to Hackney Town Hall on Wednesday to deliver some questionnaires. This guy sounds very keen on the concept of my dissertation so hopefully I will also have a new ally in trying to get as much participation as possible. You never know, within a few weeks some clear patterns on what politicians in Hackney think about the potential of new media in tackling apathy among young voters might emerge.
On to completely different matters, I noticed today that one of my favourite teenage haunts has closed down. 15 years ago I used to practically live at Steve’s Sounds on Newport Court near Leicester Square. I was amazed when we cam back in September to see it was still open. No longer it seems. I suppose everyone’s downloading stuff now and there’s no need to go to a shop to buy music. The joys of progress!!
On to completely different matters, I noticed today that one of my favourite teenage haunts has closed down. 15 years ago I used to practically live at Steve’s Sounds on Newport Court near Leicester Square. I was amazed when we cam back in September to see it was still open. No longer it seems. I suppose everyone’s downloading stuff now and there’s no need to go to a shop to buy music. The joys of progress!!
Sunday, 29 April 2007
Post Number 50!!
All things considered it’s been a fairly relaxed couple of days. Work has been fairly busy but when I think of my previous life in Malta, it’s a doddle. I noticed on the Times of Malta website that HSBC had their AGM recently. That brought back loads of happy memories. I wonder how this year’s corporate video turned out. Really, I do wonder … honest!!
I also got round to conducting my second interview, with Luke Akehurst, who is the Labour whip on the Hackney Council. There were some striking differences between his thoughts and those I heard on Tuesday. There were also some surprising similarities considering the completely different nature and background of the two men. Hopefully, there will be more opinions added to the mix over the next week. I might then be bale to start making some general observations about the perception of politicians on the potential of new media.
Clare’s still got a few projects to finish off before she starts her dissertation work. While she does that, I’m being left with quite a bit of time to kill. I’ve used it to finally finish reading Andrew Marr’s My Trade. I should have read it all before I wrote my last essay but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ve also started reading Christopher Meyer’s book on his time as UK Ambassador in Washington between 1997 and 2003. It should be interesting!
I also got round to watching Chariots Of Fire. It’s a film that’s been on my to watch list for about 20 years. Why? Well, it’s because of the Eltham College connection, which is where Eric Liddell studied. The building I spent my teenage years in was called Eric Liddell House so I’ve kind of always felt morally obliged to watch the film. Now, at last I have although, of course, it didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t know already. Still, it’s always fascinating to see, and think about, characters of such principled convictions.
Last thought … West Ham might actually really survive! Great win yesterday and considering Arsenal’s win today and the news from Bolton, it’s actually starting to look genuinely possible. That said, we’ll probably concede four next week.
I also got round to conducting my second interview, with Luke Akehurst, who is the Labour whip on the Hackney Council. There were some striking differences between his thoughts and those I heard on Tuesday. There were also some surprising similarities considering the completely different nature and background of the two men. Hopefully, there will be more opinions added to the mix over the next week. I might then be bale to start making some general observations about the perception of politicians on the potential of new media.
Clare’s still got a few projects to finish off before she starts her dissertation work. While she does that, I’m being left with quite a bit of time to kill. I’ve used it to finally finish reading Andrew Marr’s My Trade. I should have read it all before I wrote my last essay but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. I’ve also started reading Christopher Meyer’s book on his time as UK Ambassador in Washington between 1997 and 2003. It should be interesting!
I also got round to watching Chariots Of Fire. It’s a film that’s been on my to watch list for about 20 years. Why? Well, it’s because of the Eltham College connection, which is where Eric Liddell studied. The building I spent my teenage years in was called Eric Liddell House so I’ve kind of always felt morally obliged to watch the film. Now, at last I have although, of course, it didn’t really tell me anything I didn’t know already. Still, it’s always fascinating to see, and think about, characters of such principled convictions.
Last thought … West Ham might actually really survive! Great win yesterday and considering Arsenal’s win today and the news from Bolton, it’s actually starting to look genuinely possible. That said, we’ll probably concede four next week.
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
An End & A Beginning
I’ve been a bit quiet for a few days. That’s because I had to finish off my last essay, on how new technology influences the relationship between media and politics. Rather than go on about it here, I will wait for some feedback on it from the University and if it’s any good post it. Hopefully, that will happen in a couple of weeks or so. Working on that essay, and working at the office, have left me without a day off for some time. That will change tomorrow!
Meanwhile, with the last of my module work done, I’ve actually made a start on collecting information for my dissertation. This morning I went over to Hackney and spoke to the Conservative councillor Shuja Shaikh for a good two hours on the issues of young people and politics and the role new media could play to increase communication between the two sides as well as greater participation in elections and politics more generally. Again, I won’t go in to much detail as I would rather get a reasonable amount of information together first and then make some analytical comments rather than just reporting one offs. Still it’s fair to say the conversation provides some interesting points to think about.
What else is there to say? The West Ham rollercoaster ride continues. Disaster at Sheffield followed by victory against Everton. I think I should place a bet on losing to Wigan and then going on to beat Bolton and Man Utd. Also, I must give a brief mention to the results of the first round of voting in the French Presidential election. That put a spanner in the works for all the doom merchants who claim elective democracies are in decline. I suppose we all get a bit complacent at times but when there’s a real contest, a real desire for change or a clear realisation of the dangers of not voting (Le Pen’s success last time round surely played a part) then how much people care about the things we gain from living in democracies shines through.
Meanwhile, with the last of my module work done, I’ve actually made a start on collecting information for my dissertation. This morning I went over to Hackney and spoke to the Conservative councillor Shuja Shaikh for a good two hours on the issues of young people and politics and the role new media could play to increase communication between the two sides as well as greater participation in elections and politics more generally. Again, I won’t go in to much detail as I would rather get a reasonable amount of information together first and then make some analytical comments rather than just reporting one offs. Still it’s fair to say the conversation provides some interesting points to think about.
What else is there to say? The West Ham rollercoaster ride continues. Disaster at Sheffield followed by victory against Everton. I think I should place a bet on losing to Wigan and then going on to beat Bolton and Man Utd. Also, I must give a brief mention to the results of the first round of voting in the French Presidential election. That put a spanner in the works for all the doom merchants who claim elective democracies are in decline. I suppose we all get a bit complacent at times but when there’s a real contest, a real desire for change or a clear realisation of the dangers of not voting (Le Pen’s success last time round surely played a part) then how much people care about the things we gain from living in democracies shines through.
Tuesday, 17 April 2007
New Media & Politics (Again!)
I left off yesterday talking about the immediacy with which new media can react to events increasing pressure on politicians. It seems to be a double edged sword. Politicians are subject to more scrutiny and more pressure but they are also far more likely to find an outlet to defend them. It seems this is what has been happening in the United States (see http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501811.html) It also seems that this doesn’t necessarily improve debate but just makes politics more personal and negative.
I still think there is potential for new media from the point of view of the politician to engage more directly with the public though. A quick example is the Number 10 e-petition website. Now, I know it’s very difficult to draw any definite conclusions but I had a quick look at the first 200 out of 855 petitions that are open at the moment and as far as I could see there was only 1 about the environment and none about the NHS. Most seem to be about constitutional or local matters! I thought that was a bit strange.
Granted people who set up e-petitions on the Downing Street website are more likely to be interested in politics as a general subject than most people but surely if we are all so concerned about the NHS and the environment there would be a few more. Maybe new media can help politicians to understand what is really on the nation’s mind. Establishing that this is different from what the media wants to be on the national agenda will undoubtedly have an affect on the relationship between media and politics. This disparity between what people are really thinking and what the media say people are thinking has already been an issue in previous elections when matters such as the single currency were top of the media agenda but not of the electorates.
Being better able to perceive what is really going on in people’s minds could make politicians more responsive and therefore create more interest. This is what Philip Gould and Peter Mandelson did for Tony Blair through their focus groups in the mid-90s. The only problem there was that they tried to satisfy everyone.
New media can play an important role in keeping politicians informed of public opinion (at least the opinion of those who are online which causes problems!) but this information needs to be used as a tool to inform policy. New Labour’s mistake was to become a slave to that information rather than using it to lead the policy debate. Still, as far as the relationship between media and politics goes, I think that everything is still so uncertain. The only thing that seems certain is fragmentation. God know how we’re going to make sense of it all
PS – While at the Downing Street e-petition site I signed the petition set up by Steven Bainbridge ‘to halt plans for an elected House of Lords, keeping the current appointment system.’ The last thing we need are more elected politicians following party lines like sheep and not really debating issues. For all its faults at least the Lords don’t care so much about what their parties say, nor for that matter, about what is popular. This gives them a great opportunity to contribute constructively to developing sensible, sustainable legislation, something they should do more often!
I still think there is potential for new media from the point of view of the politician to engage more directly with the public though. A quick example is the Number 10 e-petition website. Now, I know it’s very difficult to draw any definite conclusions but I had a quick look at the first 200 out of 855 petitions that are open at the moment and as far as I could see there was only 1 about the environment and none about the NHS. Most seem to be about constitutional or local matters! I thought that was a bit strange.
Granted people who set up e-petitions on the Downing Street website are more likely to be interested in politics as a general subject than most people but surely if we are all so concerned about the NHS and the environment there would be a few more. Maybe new media can help politicians to understand what is really on the nation’s mind. Establishing that this is different from what the media wants to be on the national agenda will undoubtedly have an affect on the relationship between media and politics. This disparity between what people are really thinking and what the media say people are thinking has already been an issue in previous elections when matters such as the single currency were top of the media agenda but not of the electorates.
Being better able to perceive what is really going on in people’s minds could make politicians more responsive and therefore create more interest. This is what Philip Gould and Peter Mandelson did for Tony Blair through their focus groups in the mid-90s. The only problem there was that they tried to satisfy everyone.
New media can play an important role in keeping politicians informed of public opinion (at least the opinion of those who are online which causes problems!) but this information needs to be used as a tool to inform policy. New Labour’s mistake was to become a slave to that information rather than using it to lead the policy debate. Still, as far as the relationship between media and politics goes, I think that everything is still so uncertain. The only thing that seems certain is fragmentation. God know how we’re going to make sense of it all
PS – While at the Downing Street e-petition site I signed the petition set up by Steven Bainbridge ‘to halt plans for an elected House of Lords, keeping the current appointment system.’ The last thing we need are more elected politicians following party lines like sheep and not really debating issues. For all its faults at least the Lords don’t care so much about what their parties say, nor for that matter, about what is popular. This gives them a great opportunity to contribute constructively to developing sensible, sustainable legislation, something they should do more often!
Monday, 16 April 2007
More ABCs
A small step in my London PR career. Jim Bilton used half a line of the press release I sent him on CITY A.M. and the ABCs in his article in today’s Media Guardian. So that’s my first hit in a national then. Lord Bell will be quacking in his boots!! Joking apart, the important thing here is that it gives me some ready made analysis to refer to when thinking about the relative strength of the national media vis-à-vis politics.
What would be really useful would be to see some audited figures for use of national newspapers’ websites. I think politicians will be relishing the fragmentation of media and the decline of printed newspapers. But as far as I can see there's no way that people’s thirst for news is diminishing. So, are newspaper readers staying loyal to the titles they’ve always read but choosing not to buy the paper version? In fact, they’re probably reading a greater variety of news sources.
So, to get back to the question of how new media is influencing the relationship between media and politics, it seems to me that those media outlets that have the best online strategy will continue to succeed (once they work out how to make real money from the internet). Will the relationship change? Or will it just be the format?
The internet will always give politics a direct route to the public and this inevitably affects the relationship but in the end media brands still retain loyalty and people will still refer to them for a steer on what really lies behind what the politicians are saying.
Rather than getting better for the politicians, the arrival of online media with its immediacy could make things worse but I'll go in to that tomorrow as if I spend much longer at the computer i'll be in trouble (and rightly so!)
What would be really useful would be to see some audited figures for use of national newspapers’ websites. I think politicians will be relishing the fragmentation of media and the decline of printed newspapers. But as far as I can see there's no way that people’s thirst for news is diminishing. So, are newspaper readers staying loyal to the titles they’ve always read but choosing not to buy the paper version? In fact, they’re probably reading a greater variety of news sources.
So, to get back to the question of how new media is influencing the relationship between media and politics, it seems to me that those media outlets that have the best online strategy will continue to succeed (once they work out how to make real money from the internet). Will the relationship change? Or will it just be the format?
The internet will always give politics a direct route to the public and this inevitably affects the relationship but in the end media brands still retain loyalty and people will still refer to them for a steer on what really lies behind what the politicians are saying.
Rather than getting better for the politicians, the arrival of online media with its immediacy could make things worse but I'll go in to that tomorrow as if I spend much longer at the computer i'll be in trouble (and rightly so!)
Sunday, 15 April 2007
Uploading
I’ve spent most of today working on my dissertation questionnaire for politicians and journalists in Hackney. I should be working on my essay but as my first interview (with Councillor Shuja Shaik) is only just over a week away, I really had no option but to make some real progress on it.
With a little help from Clare, I think I’m almost there now and I have uploaded it on to this site just in case anyone out there who’s interested in politics and or Hackney wants to fill it in. It can be found under ‘Dissertation Questionnaire’ in the column on the right. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
I’ve also finally got round to uploading a scan of my interview with Michael Vella, the Hull Kingston Rovers player, which The Sunday Times in Malta published on 25 March. Yes, I know I’m very efficient! You can have a look in the ‘Published Articles’ section also in the column on the right.
With a little help from Clare, I think I’m almost there now and I have uploaded it on to this site just in case anyone out there who’s interested in politics and or Hackney wants to fill it in. It can be found under ‘Dissertation Questionnaire’ in the column on the right. Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
I’ve also finally got round to uploading a scan of my interview with Michael Vella, the Hull Kingston Rovers player, which The Sunday Times in Malta published on 25 March. Yes, I know I’m very efficient! You can have a look in the ‘Published Articles’ section also in the column on the right.
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