he emergence of social media is an interesting development and may, in time, alter

the political dynamic. It is satisfying to be able to debate issues online, particularly

important for those on the left who so rarely see or hear progressive opinions in the
media.
Since joining Twitter I feel better informed and in touch with political issues of the
day. Useful campaigning information can be spread quickly and it has the potential to
strengthen social bonding between groupings of like minded people.
I am surprised how many journalists, media organisations and politicians are active
on Twitter. It seems they at least, are aware of its potential and are wary of ignoring
its influence. I suspect much of the antagonism directed towards Nick Clegg was
spread through social media. Tenagers don’t generally read newspapers or watch
TV news, but they do talk to each other via Facebook.
Let’s hope it will make a difference. Since the collapse of widescale union
membership, too many natural Labour supporters don’t hear our political message.
Most probably read right wing papers and watch Sky TV. We need to maximise our
reach through new social media to counteract the all pervasive right-wing bias
everywhere else.