Two examples over the past few days of how the internet and new media has changed everything. With it should change the behaviour of politicians. Firstly, the hidden filming of Alan Duncan, which ended up being placed on a blog site and then rifled around media outlets before anybody had a chance to blink. And secondly, the appearance of Dan Hannan on the ever irritating Fox News, which has ended up creating a phenomenon on Twitter.
In Hannan’s case, I think the key question is – ‘what the hell does he think he was doing?’ He has some interesting ideas but his views on health care are not amongst them. Did he really think that it would be a shrewd move to appear on the TV shows of two deranged extremists (Beck and Hannity) badmouthing the British health care system? Why was he openly speaking out against Conservative Party policy on an overseas TV station? Bearing in mind that UK viewers can watch the toe curling spectacle of Fox News through their Sky dish, did he really think that nobody in the UK would notice? Had he forgotten that the internet and social media that had his name all over the place a few months ago could also be used against him? And next time he goes on a tour of self promotion, can Mr Hannan please give some thought to how it will affect Conservatives back home who have a General Election to fight within a year.
What these two examples show (and Con Home picked up on this today). The ever excellent Tweetminster has pointed out that the Hannan affair could mark the coming of age of Twitter in UK politics. New media and social networking are transforming politics at a rapid rate. Our politicians will have to adjust their behaviour equally rapidly. For the lesson of the past two days is that bad news travels quickly in a new media age.
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