Wonkette: The D.C. Gossip makes me wonder about the future of online journalism.
The blog, which offers one part politics, one part gossip and three parts profanity, has a similar format to its parent blog Gawker.com, which covers Manhattan media gossip.
On one hand, The Wonkette seems like a way to get people talking about politics, a plus in any democracy. On the other hand, I’m not sure how to take the information on the site seriously when it creates crass terms for Washington figures and institutions.
Much of the site plugs other D.C. blogs, such as DCist and Below the Beltway, as well as the blogs belonging to Gawker media, such as Jezebel.com, a blog devoted to celebrity, sex and fashion.
Wonkette is also unabashedly biased, slamming Dick Cheney and sundry Republicans. However, it doesn’t miss out on making fun of Democrats like Clinton and Gore.
And don’t miss the labeling of Ron Paul supporters as “Paultards.”
To be honest, I don’t know what to think about Wonkette.
As a politics junkie, who finds a guilty pleasure in gossip, the blog seems just right for Generation Y (or is it the MTV generation?).
But what are the consequences for democracy and discourse?
I’ve seen elements of The Wonkette in the Triangle’s most recent political blog, The Soup, which claims to cover North Carolina politics as well as gossip and hearsay. The blog, written by anonymous contributors, has been rumored to have connections to a particular campaign.
While blogs like these can be informative and entertaining, how can they be trusted?
That was a thoughtful post. I wonder, too, about whether those type of sites promote interest in politics or just make people more turned off …
Did you mean to say that the site is unabashedly biased (instead of unbiased)? It sounds like Wonkette has a bit of the Perez Hilton flair, as in nicknames like “Paultards,” which reminds me of how Perez calls Sienna Miller “Sluttienna,” for example. Nice post!
Well, the site does interest me more than most political sites, but this is one situation where my lack of knowledge would make it hard for me to judge validity, which makes me wary. How many readers come to this site expecting to laugh and how many are looking to take everything as hard truth? I would think that most would be savy enough to take things written with a grain of salt.
But it’s sure to be popular. I know I read Perez more often than I read Congressional Quarterly.
Good post. I know most of us love gossipy/celeb blogs. But, I’d like to see you answer more of the questions you pose.
D.C. is like Hollywood for journalists so I am not surprised that they have a blog like this.