Introduction

Photoblog. Tumblelog. Corporate blog. Moblog. Vlog. Link log. Fashion blog. Project blog. The plethora of genres that a blog may take, is evidence of its own popularity explosion. The term ‘blog’, short for ‘weblog’, generally refers to “an online journal comprised of links and postings in reverse chronological
order” (Gillmor, 2004: 29). Similarly, ‘blogging’ describes blog-related acts, (such as writing your own blog or commenting on another person’s blog) and the collective term ‘blogosphere’ refers to the totality of blogs in existence at any one time. Blogs constitute a form of ‘participatory culture’, as sites where consumers “actively participate in the creation and circulation of new content” (Jenkins, 2006: 290). Arguably the most common form of ‘participatory culture’, the dramatic multiplication of blogs has attracted further examination of this concept. Specifically, this essay will focus on the ways in which participatory culture has impacted on the public sphere.

The public sphere, a concept introduced by media theorist Jurgen Habermas, refers to “any and all locations, physical or virtual, where ideas and feelings relevant to politics are transmitted or exchanged openly” (Bennett and Entman, 2001: 3). The development of new media and the emergence of participatory culture however, has seen critical changes in this idea. Two key impacts on the public sphere will be discussed specifically in terms of blogs. Namely, the way in which such consumer participation has disrupted old paradigms of power and entrenched new mechanisms of control.

The impact of blogs is particularly prominent in the corporate and political environs of America. These particular areas will therefore be used as a platform through which the influence of blogs on the public sphere can be further explored. Specifically; the development of the ‘Baghdad Blogger’ during the Iraq War, the racial scandal involving U.S Senator Trent Lott in December 2002, and musician Billy Bragg’s lobbying to protect user rights, will be analysed.