The Great Debate UK

The 2010 general election and new media

Matthew McGregor is the Director Blue State Digital’s London office. The opinions expressed are his own.

The 2010 general election will be the first closely British election in which the internet will be an important factor. The last truly close election in 1992 was fought in a way unrecognisable to campaigners today. In 1997, most of us had yet to use email. In 2005, YouTube was barely three months into its existence.

So how will new media impact on the contest between the parties — and how will independent organisations use the potential of online media to insert themselves into the process?

Perhaps the most obvious difference for members of the fourth estate will be the encroachment of bloggers on the “old” media’s hallowed turf as the arbiters of what constitutes the news of the day.