Monday 16 March 2009

European Parliament elections 2009 (65): It's bloggers' time (or: the PR of the European Greens)

After the Party of European Socialists (PES) (see here), now the European Green Party (EGP) is starting to target bloggers, inviting three of them - fully financed - to the EGP congress in Brussels at the end of this month.

Yet, I think this goes one step to far. It's true that most bloggers are writing for their own pleasure, for their narcism, for their idealism, for their [insert your own interpretations] and might not possess the funds to visit a party congress in Brussels.

But financing bloggers (as financing journalists) sounds more like buying a service than asking for a critical coverage of political activities.

I am not sure that I like that.

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Under the category "European parliament elections 2009" I am following up national and European activities on the path to the European Parliament elections 2009.

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4 comments:

antyx said...

Ultimately, I suppose we have to trust the bloggers to remain self-centered enough to avoid feeling too much in debt to their hosts. :)

Anonymous said...

...the eternal question, that is : should we accept to get embedded ? I don't think I like it either but here's the real point : I'm surprised that such a modern ans innovative structure as the EU-Greens still think inviting bloggers or journalists will not be counterproductive. See : bloggers like you start wondering if they are going to be instrumentalized, so does the people reading you, and the whole PR stuff goes, well, psshhhttt.

Macarena Rodriguez said...

ummm, I did last weekend a live blogging for a Spanish fondation and it was great. nobody forced to me for writing in a way or in another way. But I agree with you it is not the same being invited for a political party. What to do? I will go just becuause it is a step forward but I will decide under which conditions.

Julien Frisch said...

@ Macarena

In general, I have nothing against blogging for somebody if this is made fully transparent.

But I prefer a general openness of political parties for bloggers with a basic journalistic attitude instead of making participation of bloggers a kind of privilege (as in this case, it looks like only three are invited), including extra financing.

Especially when blogging follows a journalistic approach, being paid (or indirectly financed) by those about whom you report at least raises doubts about your independence towards your object.

But that is a rather general attitude towards journalism (and journalism-like blogging) of me, which not necessarily needs to be shared.