Bloggers and the right

A couple of prominent British commentators have seized on the idea (prevalent in the US) that the media has liberal bias, and that the "blogosphere" will hold liberals to account.

As Iain Duncan Smith says here:

the blogosphere will become a force in Britain, and it could ignite many new forces of conservatism. The internet's automatic level playing field gives conservatives opportunities that mainstream media have often denied them.

Melanie Phillips continues the point here:

As Duncan Smith observed, blogging democratises the national conversation by providing an alternative discourse to the world view of the left, which the mainstream media (MSM) regards as the neutral middle ground.

Absolute nonsense.

They seem not to recognise that there are many who regard the media as champions of the establishment and powerful, and not of the left. Yes, blogs will help people have a voice. But they may well be surprised if they are assuming that will be a people's voice of the right. Take a look at one of the most succesful online communities, indymedia. Hardly a champion of conservative values

There is a good deconstruction of Iain Duncan Smith's article here

Mark Lynas has also strongly criticised Melanie Phillips in this post: Sceptics meet reality in the 'Moral Maze'