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Diversity in the blogosphere

May 8

Written by: Jim Hansen
Tuesday, May 08, 2007

This morning, a colleague from the Western States Center, Kelley Weigel, sent me a link to an article by Chris Bowers who blogs on MyDD. I really encourage you to read it. I've been working with so many diverse groups of people and organizations over the past 12 years that I've come to appreciate that different people organize and make change happen in their communities in different ways.

Last year I visited with thousands of people while I was on sabbatical from United Vision for Idaho. Rather than spend time on the phone raising money, I opted to visit with people face to face as often as possible. I was surprised at how many did not have access to the web and many who did used it almost exclusively for e-mail. Chris Bower's article reminded me of how important it is for me to keep connected to different people through different ways. Relying on web communications will only reach some of folks, and they largely look like me (especially my race, class and education).

Building power is about building relationships and there is no substitute for face to face communications. Web communcations - along with phone conversations, and old fashioned mailings - add value to those relationships, but it is rare to start a relationship that way.

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2 comments so far...

Re: Diversity in the blogosphere

Jim, I think I get to be first to comment on your blog!

Thanks very much for pointing out the MyDD post, which I had missed.

I wound up posting a diary of my own on the topic at MyDD. I believe I have a unusual perspective on this topic, since I spend about half my working hours as a professional political blogger and the other half writing stories about small-d democracy via the Study Circles Resource Center.

I agree with you and Chris that not everyone needs to blog, but I believe strongly that the blogosphere must include as many diverse voices as possible. Part of the problem, frankly, is that there are now so many blogs that diverse voices are often not even found, or they get drowned out. Also, on most blogs, people usually don't self-ID as people of color, so it's often hard to know who's who. (This can also be a plus, of course, since people's posts can stand on their own merits.)

I would encourage people to blog in their own Internet communities, as we do here in Idaho, but also to reach out as much as possible to the national blogs that cover topics and issues in which you are interested. The Idaho blogosphere often feels like a giant echo chamber, with many of the same folks posting and commenting on all the blogs. By reaching out beyond our borders, we can hear many more voices and add our voices to the mix, too. (Speaking of diversity, people on the coasts really need to hear from Idaho progressives to know we exist!)

Here's my diary at MyDD replying to what Chris and his commenters wrote last week:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/16/19318/3263

By Julie in Boise on Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Re: Diversity in the blogosphere

Thanks Julie. You are one of my blogging hero's. The approach you take is very inviting. I appreciate the time you take off-line, too, to help people understand how this tool can strengthen grassroots democracy. Some folks - especially in DC - think the internet IS grassroots democray rather than the reality that face-to-face relationships and the locally created organizations of people is where power is. The Internet and blogs are like fuel that can both strengthen the movement and - as you point out - can drown out voices that have been marginalized by the elites who control most institutions (media, government, corporations).

By Jim Hansen on Tuesday, May 22, 2007

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