Blogs Promote Local Issues

A report in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, Local Activists Spread the Word Online, describes the emergence of blogs as a powerful tool in local politics.  The article surveys a range of Texas-area blogs on subjects like education, little-league sports, local businesses, religion, and city council politics.  According to John Palfrey, the rise in blogging about local issues has an effect offline as well as online: "The technology makes it very easy for people to publish quickly and cheaply without an intermediary. And that's put a lot of pressure on the traditional media to innovate and be edgy."