The Blogging Revolution

"Across the world, young generations are challenging tired state media by writing online about politics, sex, drugs, relationships, religion, popular culture and especially Angelina Jolie. From Egyptian activists opposed to female circumcision to outspoken, pro-Western women in Cuba, people are being empowered by new technology to create spaces away from the prying eyes of meddling authorities.

The rise of the online community means the relationship between the state and its people is shifting radically. Individuality is emerging in societies that routinely shun such behaviour and repressive regimes are not pleased."

The Review section of today's Australian newspaper publishes an interesting piece on blogging, and its "impact" around the world - especially in countries with repressive regimes - written by author Antony Loewenstein relating to his book to be released [MUP] next week "The Blogging Revolution" [go here and here]

Comments

Anonymous said…

i'd like people who write stories about political blogs to just once let the uninitiated in on the fact that all blogs are not politically oriented, they are only a fraction of what people are "blogging" about (i have come to loathe the word since that obnoxious tv commercial came out a couple months back -- "i love blogging!").

books, cars, gardening, knitting, crocheting, law, engineering -- people "blog" about every subject under the sun.

by isolating politically-oriented blogs as the entirety it reinforces the unfortunate stereotyping of online activism as "fringe" -- i.e., "blogging" is not something that "regular" people engage in.

i read plenty of blogs that never mention john mccain or barack obama even once.

August 26, 2008 3:05 am

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