Blogger/Student NEEDS YOUR HELP

OK so... Here's the deal... I am a senior politics student in Washington, DC and I am working on a paper for a media class this semester about the blogosphere...

The gola is toanalyze the success of the blogosphere as an echo chamber in raising the profile of issues to the msm... here is the problem... I have been examining old diaries and front page postings for over a week now and I just cnat figure out what issue to choose...

I am opening up the floor to the dKos Community to offer opinions on what they think would be a good topic to follow...

•  You Gotta Do It Yourself

  After all, you're the one who has to follow it all--so you'd better be interested in it.

  Just pick something intriguing and start following the diaries and links.

  And remember: even if it ends up not having an impact, you can get a paper out of it by examining just why this one did not when that one did.

  by AaronBa on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:01:40 AM PDT

  •  this diary is step one of research...

    how does the blogosphere affect my research... did someone here raise a comment i wasnt paying attention to... etc...

    btw... CUA is becoming increasingly more conservative... but CUA Dems are making inroads again... CUA Alum Terry McAulliffe will be speaking on thursday... he is the first big speaker they ahve been able to secure in YEARS (all in the DC area should attend)...

    by blogfactory on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:37:50 AM PDT

•  Why not add a poll?

  Just a suggestion.  Why don't you determine what you think are important issues, post them as a poll and let us vote. I'd include 'Other" as a choice and ask for elaboration in the comments.

  Good luck on your project.

  by michelle on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:02:07 AM PDT

•  Oh, have some fun with it

  Try Jeff Gannon, darling of the White House press corps. Online writing and collective research revealed that this guy was a tool, a plant, and a hooker.

  by histopresto on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:03:44 AM PDT

  •  PS

    Check AaronBa's signature to see what happened to those intrepid online researchers- they're now a new online media collective.

    by histopresto on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:04:54 AM PDT

    •  Yeah... and It Sure Was Fun

      There are now at least two groups on the net that come out of the Gannon thing, ePMedia and the new Political Cortex.

      But, as I said above, make sure the topic you choose interests you... you will do a better job that way... and maybe have a little fun.

      By the way, how is CUA these days?  I taught a couple of courses there a decade and a half ago.  Loved it--except I got a little tired of seeing Ed McMahon's name on every other structure.

      by AaronBa on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:10:04 AM PDT

•  Well

  Are you going to try to track a rising issue or analyze an old one?

  If you're looking at old stuff, I'd check out Kos, Atrios, and Josh Marshall on Plame, Lott's Strom Thurmond comments, and the "Social Security in Crisis" spin.  Oh, and Gannongate, although that was not as successful at breaking into the mainstream.  Old DailyKos posts are available at www.dailykos.net

  by ChicagoDem on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:05:24 AM PDT

•  I'd say the Downing Street Minutes

  is a good place to start.  Check the archives and MSM publication dates against those on the blogs.  Also, if you can track back to when CNN and MSNBC started doing their "Inside the Blogs" segments, you'd get some general info.

  by Webster on Mon Nov 07, 2005 at 11:12:06 AM PDT