Apparently, this blog is gaining traction, catching the attention of local elected officials and political candidates, not to mention the reporters and editors who are paid to track them.
To even the most casual of observers, there is little doubt remaining about the enormous impact of social media upon the political landscape.
Whether it’s globally, nationally or right here in our own back yard, the power of social media has transformed the dynamics of political reporting.
Thanks to the mind-boggling innovation offered by the internet, and social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter, the political power that was once dominated by traditional media is now much more balanced and certainly more diverse.
Don’t believe me? Still think Facebook is for college kids looking to get laid; or that Twitter is an absolute waste of time?
Well, check this: Facebook played a pivotal role in ousting Hosni Mubarak from office. The former Egyptian President, who controlled state-run media and held office for more than four decades with an iron grip, never saw it coming.
Last summer, we saw what some disgruntled folks equipped with I-Phones could accomplish when they decided to stand up to corporate America. Traditional, mostly corporate-owned, media outlets were forced to finally start covering issues surrounding the massive divide between the haves and have-nots.
Social media also has its downsides: a New York Congressman was forced from office after he got a bit carried away with his Twitter account; but every presidential campaign today leverages the power of social media to woo potential voters and donors.
On a more local level, former Biddeford Mayor Joanne Twomey admitted she was not very computer-savvy. Her opponent, however, embraced social media tools as part of a coordinated, strategic and — ultimately quite succesful — campaign to oust her from office.
So what now? How will mainstream media respond to the influx of new information and the competition unleashed by anyone with a modem and some motivation?
Will they innovate, duplicate or terminate?
We got some of the answers this week, and it’s important to remember that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Take, for example, this week’s cover story in the Sun Chronicle: Primary battles signal State House shakeup by Kate Collins. In the lead graph of her Feb. 2 story, Collins writes: “Nancy Sullivan has done something rather unusual, and it appears that it’s not only set off a chain reaction, but also set the tongues of local political junkies wagging.”
Hmmm… Some 16 days earlier, this self-described “political junkie” posted a story about Sullivan taking on fellow Democrat Alan Casavant for the District 137 House seat.
A few days later, on Jan. 28, I posted a story about City Councilor Bob Mills’ announcement that he would challenge fellow Democrat State Rep. Megan Rochelo for her District 136 seat.
Just two days later, Mills posted a questionnaire that was e-mailed to him by reporter Kate Collins, asking why he was challenging Rochelo.
To be honest, Collins provided her readers with a much more in-depth story than anything you will ever find here. She took the time to talk to state Democratic party officials, a political science professor and local political observers. If — and I mean if — this blog inspired that story, then all the better for her readers who got the benefit of her excellent reporting. Then again, unlike me, she gets paid to write her stories.
But Collins is not the only local reporter watching this blog closely.
Molly Lovell Keely is the niece of a Saco City Councilor, spouse of my former co-host on the televised version of All Along the Watchtower; and the person who now sits at the editor’s desk I once occupied at the Biddeford-Saco Courier. In her Feb. 2 column (View From the Nest), Keely muses about the potential return of Joanne Twomey to Biddeford’s political arena, a subject we posted three days prior on January 30.
Keely then switches gears, mentioning two new blogs about Biddeford politics that she likes to follow, but she apparently “forgot” about this blog, even though she is a subscriber, “likes us” on our Facebook page and checks in almost daily to see what we’re writing about.
Kudos, however, to Keely for giving props to newly elected City Councilor Brad “Cub Scout” Cote for his rather informative blog about the city council; and for mentioning Bill Moriarity, newly elected School Committee member, for his blog about the school committee’s work.
By the way, you can find links to both of the new blogs on our “Biddeford on the Web” section, located in the right hand column of our blog.
You see, there is no such thing as “too much information.”
We encourage more people to blog about politics. Send us your link, and we’ll give it a shout-out here.
The people of Biddeford are indeed fortunate to have two weekly newspapers and two daily newspapers covering local news. More competition is always good for consumers, and the addition of new bloggers represents a significant bonus for those of you who live, work and play in Biddeford.
If community leaders are also actively engaged in keeping you informed about your community, then we should expect nothing less from the pros who get paid to keep watch over the city and the people who have been given the public’s trust.
P.S. The day after I ribbed City Councilor Brad “Cub Scout” Cote about his boring job and dull Facebook page, he changed his profile picture to a mugshot of the A-Team’s Mr. T.
Just goes to prove what Margaret Mead once famously said: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
LESSONS IN MEDIOCRITY 