Speaking vs. Being Heard

The main point I took from Hindman's work is that the Internet empowers elite political blogs, thus the Internet does very little in broadening political discourse. I suppose another way of saying this is that while the Internet is a great outlet to express opinions, many of these opinions are not heard as loudly as those expressed by wealthy websites. Anyone can start a blog about politics, but the chance of that blog breaking into the top twenty political blogs is not likely. As Hindman states, there is a difference between "speaking" and "being heard." The Internet gives all the opportunity to shave a voice, but very few are actually given the attention. It creates a situation that is neither a win-win nor a lose-lose.


I'm not an expert on political blogs, but I can certainly see Hindman's argument found in tracking websites such as DrugeReport.com and DailyKos.com. Drudge Report is a conservative blog in which the creator, Matt Drudge, became famous for exposing the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Daily Kos is a liberal blog that prides itself on being "progressive." Both blogs are well-known in their respective political communities and receive a significant number of hits every day.


I agree with Hindman in his argument that the Internet is bursting with content, but elites are given the most attention. This goes not only for the political community, but for other niches as well such as music, celebrity gossip, cosmetics, and fashion to name a few. In terms of music, many hip hop fans are familiar with blogs such as WorldStarHipHop.com or AllHipHop.com, but few know NahRight.com. All three blogs are part of the same community and keep fans updated on the latest news, but the former two receive more attention than the latter. It is not to say that because NahRight.com isn't as popular as WSHH or AllHipHop.com that it is a less important blog, it simply is not a part of the Internet elites.