Tories use New Media in the old Fashioned Way

Saturday, February 6. 2010

Tories use New Media in the old Fashioned Way

New Tory MPBots wont fiddle expenses

Aspirant Tory Politicians shall not say anything on Social Media Sites unless The Party has approved it first - Daily Mail:

David Cameron has ordered his party's candidates to submit their online utterances for vetting.

The strict edict issued to every Tory candidate across the country covers updates on social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as Internet blogs and websites.

The move aims to cut the number of gaffes in the run-up to the General Election when would-be MPs will face intense scrutiny.

No doubt the aim is to turn the individual MP's into online Politicobots, parroting the party line with absolute fidelity online. This is in effect what Labour did in 1997 via the technology of the day. One wonders why not just set up a Twitter and Facebook account in each MP's name and broadcast to it each day if this is the aim.

Problem is, it won't work as social media is, well, social - you converse. As Labour MP Kerry McCarthy ( named last year as 'Twitter Tsar'), said:

'The whole thing about new media is that you can't have this spin operation and control without destroying the spirit of it,' she said.

'You may put your foot in it from time to time but if you try to control it, it just becomes sterile.

This one looks like it's going to be fun to watch......

Posted by Alan Patrick in Social Networks at 10:19 | Comment (1) | Trackbacks (0)

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It may be fun, but it may not. I remember following a labour mp who will remain nameless for now, and each time anyone argued with her she got quite nasty, and then if others stuck up for anything other than her view she stomped off and didn't answer them. It got very annoying so the unfollow option comes into play. It is a fine line between amusing and informing followers, and not boring the pants off them. I lose many because I drone on about the same subject all the time so I am the pot calling the kettle...

...I think politicians have to be very clever to use twitter. Tom Watson does it extremely well. Others less so.
It is easy to spot the ones 'doing it for themselves' and quite frankly if they don't then there is no point to it at all.
Maybe twitter is not the ideal tool for the election? It will certainly sort out the men from the boys.
Like you said, it may very well be interesting.
chris

#1 cyberdoyle on 2010-02-06 10:47 (Reply)

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