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Why do we need poliblogs? The relationship between weblogs and political communicatIon from the aspect of network theory

Summary/Abstract: The study attempts to develop explanations about the attested growing significance of political weblogs in the field of political communication and political marketing, spreading mainly in the US and Western Europe, from the angle of network theory. A secondary aim of the study is to render background knowledge and generate discussion in connection with the necessity and effectiveness of applying internet-based, new wave genres of political marketing. The study compares the mobilization and activating capacities of virtual blog-networks and physical social networks by analysing weak and strong ties, together with the concepts of social bridges and small-word theory. It also deals with the structure and technical possibilities of expanding blog-networks. It investigates the ways of how interconnected weblogs initiate qualitative changes in reaching, informing and involving voters via the media. In this respect the study examines the issues of the long-tail effect, the hyperlocal and alternative methods of content broadcasting, the peer-to-peer principle, and the epidemic models of messaging as well. It reveals that the interconnectedness of poliblogs can result in the profound – even personalised – segmentation of voters, and assists to the precise allocation of campaign messages. As a consequence, blog-communities can contribute to the battle between opposing group opinions, the rational discussion of campaign issues, and conclusively, to the cultivation of public dialogue.

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