Polityka na Onecie

Abstract

The aim of the article is to present the importance of the Internet in political marketing. The author concentrates on the possibilities of the promotion of politicians based on the advantages of Web 2.0. The “second version” of the World Wide Web gives the democratic possibility of creating its content to each of its users. An important aspect of this phenomenon are weblogs (or simply blogs), primarily used as a manner of self-expression, evolving into a network of private websites dedicated to achieving individual aims. Technical possibilities offered by blogs enable the politicians to create their image, not demanding serious financial or professional investments. The author analyses the blogs of Polish politicians in categories of political marketing. Amongst the criteria of analysis there may be found: the length of published posts, the controversies they evoke, the style of the remarks constituting the blogs. The authors of the blogs are divided into several categories, including blogging pioneers, scandalists, reporters, right-wing bloggers. Although the most popular blogs attract young internauts and are the source of citations for journalists, their content is based mainly on scandalous information or rhetorical questions, the aim of which is to irritate the opponents. The layout and the manner of writing of right-wing politicians indicate their target groups – blogs are certainly not the principal channel of communication between the politicians and their electorate. This may be explained by its structure – conservative voters seem more traditional and promotion in the Internet does not play significant role for them. Although the advertisement in the Internet becomes the main field of interest of commercial companies, Polish politicians do not seem to recognise the importance of communicating their message in the Web. Polish spin doctors still do not appreciate the effectivity of modern technologies, which may be considered as surprising in the context of their development.