‘Shaping’ the political landscape

Sunday, March 6, 2011

CEBUANO bloggers yesterday urged the public to express their ideas about the country’s political affairs.

In a forum, Vernon Joseph Go, founder of the Cebu Bloggers Society (CBS), stressed the importance of citizen journalism, in which one shares information and ideas about relevant and current events.

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“We blog because we have stories to tell,” he said.

By blogging about political events, one helps form opinions and promote balanced reporting in mainstream media, said lawyer and blogger Ethelbert Ouano.

“In blogging, you simply enjoy and celebrate democracy,” he said.

Ouano said people have the right to criticize the government without interference.

During the forum, a researcher from the University of the Philippines-Diliman presented her study on the leading Filipino political bloggers and their impact on their readers.

Mary Grace Mirandilla-Santos, who conducted the study from February 2009 to August 2010 under a grant from the International Development Research Center, said blogs are a medium for providing and acquiring information.

Raising awareness

“It helps raise awareness and enrich knowledge,” she said.

Citing a study from the University of California, she said younger Internet users have become more socially engaged in the real world, not just online.

Santos, however, noted that political blogs in the country “have yet to create tangible macro-impact on political participation.”

But despite their limited impact, blogs provide a venue to formulate new ideas, she said.

Kevin Ray Chua, a political blogger and co-founder of the CBS, lamented there are people who doubt his intentions. He said he once faced threats of legal action.

Optimistic

Ouano also lamented that Cebu lags behind Manila when it comes to political blogging. “In Cebu, political blogging is still gaining strength,” he said.

Despite this, Chua is optimistic political blogging will continue to prosper. “Blogging is helping shape today’s political landscape with more and more bloggers getting involved,” he said.

Students in Cebu, noted Go, have used social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to advance their interests and to campaign during election period in school. But he also stressed the importance of being politically active “off-line.”

“It boils down to talk and action,” he said.