March 31, 2005

Blogs To Set Pace in '06 Race

Frank Cagle believes blogs will set the pace in media coverage of the 2006 Senate race in Tennessee.

The growth of weblogs and their growing audience has created a wild card in the arena of ideas, especially political ideas. The gatekeepers are still there, but the back door is open. The Tennessee elections of 2006 will be the first statewide elections in which critical mass has been achieved, so that established blogs, e-mail newsletters and websites will dominate political news. It has already begun, 16 months in advance of the Republican senatorial primary. It is apparent that cyberspace will be preoccupied with racing to post the latest in campaign news, poll results or signs of apostasy to conservative doctrine. There will also be Democrat-leaning blogs that will enjoy it all and gleefully call out their Republican counterparts.

If you are a political junkie, it’s manna from heaven. News organizations give scant coverage of political races until the final weeks. The question of this campaign season is whether mainstream news organizations will cede blow-by-blow coverage to the blogs, the e-mail newsletters and the campaign websites. There is an argument to be made that, given the low interest of the greater population in political minutia, having these cyberspace alternatives is a perfect example of a niche market. But will news organizations be willing to allow any niche to get away these days? They are also conceding the pre-primary, when political activists, contributors and interest groups are making up their minds about candidates. It is among these people that blogs will have the most influence because they are there and because it’s the only political news available.

He's right. And hallelujah!