I had a long talk with Autonomous Mind the other day about the state of the political blogosphere in the UK.

Unfortunately, we were forced to conclude that the independent sector (as opposed to the clogosphere, comprising the efforts of the MSM, plus sundry politicians and interest groups) had not taken off in the manner of the US blogs and was still struggling to get its voice heard.

Now, confronted with this on the Daily Mail website, we see the size of the task before us, as even the best of us is no more than a rounding error, compared with that hit rate.

View full article here

While absolute numbers may be small, I do feel it is a growing - and one way- street.

I speak as someone who used to work through a stack of papers on a Sunday, but now use only blogs - not a single newspaper is read.

Better to be informed, and in a minority, than be in the dark as part of the majority.
Especially if events overtake the comfortable (but incorrect) narrative of the majority.
You never know when a black swan can show up, making reality actually important again.

The first thing I look at every day is this blog but rarely comment. The next is the DM to wind them up and mention Enoch Powell and the comment is removed. That says it all?

I must confess to a daily visit of the Mail online site.

Though I usually check only two writers output.

1/..Peter Hitchens (who I quite like)

2/..Mary Ellen Synon (whose reporting on the EU is, to me, vital.

However, I check in to EU Referendum as a rule at least three times a day: Quality.

Hogsback wrote


Very good

Could become the blog motto.

.....and, sadly, one of the most difficult, if not impossible things to change is a person's or a people's character.
I think it is true to say that the best advertising one can get is through word-of-mouth...a long process but a sure one.
I am sure that others here do the same as me...never miss the opportunity when communicating with friends by e-mail to either quote or refer to an important subject themed in this & other premium and like-minded blogs.
Reports of the impending death of the MSM are greatly exaggerated but the growing disillusion of the public, so slow to wake up, may eventually cause its demise; soft porn & all.
In the meantime, keep talking, keep slogging away because, though the odds against us are great, we are right!
The Force be with you, Richard

Brighten the corner where you are, my friend. You can do no more than that, and you do it brilliantly.

I too come here first every day, then to Cranmer, whose output is of mixed quality, and then to Hitchens, who, along with Mary Ellen, provides justification for the Mail's on-line existence (as does Dellers for the ****graph's).

Also, this blog is better designed, easier to comment on and much more of a joy to use than any I have encountered. (And its links are unusually well-mannered, opening, as they do, in a separate window -- greatly appreciated.)

Agreed, you are the first blog I read each morning.
As Harry said Quality not Quantity!

His Grace knows how you feel.

And so does Jesus.

Which is heartening.

Perhaps the solution is to join forces and pool resources (and sovereignty) to create a new mega-blog of the independently-minded quality writers, attract £1000s in advertising, and then 'share the proceeds of growth'...

Keep doing that. You need the valves.....

I cannot see that numbers are an issue. Play to your strengths. Large organisations are invariably less agile, and vast audiences are not an indication of intellectual activity - rather the reverse.

I am not sure that changes are effected by gathering a large audience first, and then preaching to it. Change happens in a few key places initially - then it moves into the mass market (and invariably gets corrupted there - but that's a different issue).

You should be more interested in the quality of your audience - perhaps I should move out and up the IQ level?

I am in the embarrassing position of agreeing with you - all but the last sentence!

Your Grace ... I think you may be onto something ... but this is what Dale tried ... and it had not been a great success. But an aggregation might work, if it can be fully automated.

I agree with all the comments on this article. I have just spent three months in hospital with Leukaemia, so I really missed reading this blog,had to put up with the 'Mail' on most days. I am now going back into Ipswich Hospital for the third dose of chemotherapy. It will be at least a month without proper information,that is my loss,but,please,please keep up the good work.

I am sure we will be able to rectify that quite soon....

Don't worry, Richard. Even I read the Telegraph online. After its better than paying for it.