My heart sank when I read the round robins that have been sent out of late to announce various blogger awards. After all the expectation that the BloggerSpere was different from the old media, it seems not, Why any blogger would feel the need to participate in these stale and outdated awards ceremonies is beyond me, but perhaps I am just a miserable old fart who needs to get out more, no matter, for as I find networking the curse of new labour group think, all I can offer in my defense is, so be it.
There was a time when blogging was regarded as cutting-edge, the best of which provided the sort of information and access that could not be gained from the mainstream media. However these days we are not only seeing the owners of the more popular blogs forever moderating there comments sections under the pretext of fearing a libel writ. Which to many of us is a contradiction in terms and a direct throwback to the cover all immunity powerful forces have always received in the mainstream media, but now the BloggerSpere is reduced to aping the stale and corrupt awards ceremonies that the powers that be enjoy so much, as they place people into a neat hierarchical pecking order. How quickly we have sunk to the media establishments level.
As is the norm with such events, in return for publicity, sponsors from industry and commerce are touted for cash to finance the awards ceremonies; and after a ‘suitable’ shortlist has been drawn up by the organizers, the great and good are recruited to judge the winners. The ceremony itself will take place in some fancy fur-coat and no knickers hotel at which black ties and dinner jackets will be the order of the day; and about the most rebellious act any guest will perform is to wear a lounge suit, or a sparkly Dinner jacket with a twirling bow tie. As with the mainstream media awards, these blogging awards are used to publicize this or that blogging brand and their sponsors and to shuffle some coin their way.
I have never given much thought to these best blog lists and awards, seeing it as a bit of harmless fun; besides we all like a pat on the back, but is that really the case? First what the hell are we as bloggers doing replicating the worst of big media contests. For no matter whether it is the Oscars, ITV awards ceremonies, or Ian Dale and Slugger O’Toole’s ‘blogger awards,’ they are all designed to achieve one thing only, beneficial publicity for the host organization and its product. Every one of these awards thingies can, and in the past many of them have been fixed and best blog awards are no different. I need not go into fine detail about the scandal of ITV’s award ceremonies as what occurred is common knowledge and the web is not immune to such shenanigans as many of us know. Even when a ‘jury’ picks the winner, who wins often centers on who picks the jury.
Even so if all the aforementioned is true most may still see these awards as harmless fun, but what they also do is perpetuate the narrowness of the blogging envelope, which is something most bloggers fight against no matter what their politics. The winners of these awards ceremonies rarely come from beyond the mainstream, whether it is movies, journalism, the theatre, or blogs. Indeed one of their purposes is to perpetuate the mainstream and exclude anything that might threaten it.
Some might argue that is because the mainstream is often the best, not least as the most cash goes into producing the product. True, perhaps in some cases, but as far as blogs are concerned there is the rub. For unless it is a group blog it is the core content that counts and not the peripheral gizmos money can buy, and long may it be so. There is also the question of exposure, which is the life's blood of blogging, if a small group of blogs continuously hog the limelight, with all that can flow from this, where will that leave blogging, especially if the more prominent prize winning blogs, due to the riches it brings, are prepared to play the game by the rules set by the man in the big house?
Posts
2 comments:
As someone who plugged Iain Dale's blog awards on my blog and Socialist Unity, I think I'd best reply.
Regardless of what we on the left do, either Iain or some other pro-establishment blogger is going to do these award-type things, which in turn will get some media attention in the slow summer months. If left bloggers participate there is a greater chance of having a list with a mixed political complexion. Some of our blogs will get on there, which will introduce them to an audience outside of the left ghetto. If we don't, the right dominates, allowing Iain and friends to talk about the lack of "quality" left blogging and pretend there are no politics beyond the neoliberal consensus.
That's why I took part. If some comrades don't want to, it's up to them.
On re-reading my piece I can understand why some bloggers who have participated in these awards thingies may feel I was being critical of them personally. This is not the case, as in the past I myself have participated in sending in my nominations for best blog etc. Indeed it was when I was compiling my ten favorite blogs after receiving a round robin from Ian Dale, that I got to thinking about this process.
As to AVPS comments above, I find them very interesting as they reflect the wider dilemma many of us on the left have had to face over the years, do we engage with the mainstream media and electoral politics, despite understanding its weaknesses, or do we remain in the phone box, forever shouting from the sidelines, whilst squabbling with fellow comrades like cats in a sack.
Where blogging is concerned I believe there may be a third way (If Shiraz Socialist does not claim ownership ;) we left bloggers now have the vehicle of Carnival of Socialism, which is emerging as a useful platform for left-Bloggers. Hopefully it will develop in much the same was as Ian Dale and co have for the right-bloggers.
it seems to me, if as AVPS claims these award thingies are a reality, then carnival of socialism should organize such a list/ ceremony /what-ever and publicize it. If we cannot beat them, why not join them on our own terms.
Post a Comment