Two Way Street

In our brave new world of the internet, social networking, blogs and shiny interactive websites, it is rather predictable that a review of how MPs use new media has found that they use it simply for the one way broadcast of information.

The review, by the Hansard Society, found some very encouraging signs that our elected representatives are increasingly engaging with new media through the use of websites. Just having a website is fine but the principle of open discussion which is written into the DNA of the internet is lost if the site is little more than a digital version of a campaign leaflet.

Far too few MPs are engaged in the more expansive discussion based new media according to the report. Only 11 per cent actively blog and 1 in 4 have a presence on Facebook.

Whether you'd want to befriend your MP (whoever it is) in this digital way is debatable, but surely the use of new media as a two way communications medium will only increase and make politicians more accountable and accessible. And that can only be a good thing.

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