The role of the Internet in influencing the policy debate

Talking to many MPs about how they first got into different modalities of the Internet, be it website, e-newsletter, social networking site or microblog, one consistent theme has been the role of their staff. I have not conducted any quantitative research on how many, but anectdotally the number must account for a not insignificant minority, say 10-20% of MPs first online forays. Typically, they had a young staff member, full-time, part-time or volunteer intern who knew how to use the Internet, and was allowed to get on with it.

Research by Edelman suggests MPs staffers are infleunced by the Internet, especially the interactive Web 2.0 applications. That such staffers are influenced by certain trusted sites for news and information is not a surprise, of more interest is the fact that many turn to social networking sites, blogs and even microblogs for policy advice. This suggests that Web 2.0 applications may play a role in developing policy ideas, or shape their bosses parliamentary speeches.

Research by myself and Darren Lilleker on MPs use of social networking sites, weblogs and Twitter has focused on how they use these tools to promote their own views and interact with citizens/constituents. Edelman's research adds an interesting angle of how MPs and their staff are in turn using such applications.

The lesson is that those organisations, such as pressure groups, seeking to shape the public agenda may need to consider how they can get parliamentary staffers to view, use and trust their various online offerings.