POLITICALleaflets, a prized electioneering tool and favourite of local government muckrakers, has joined the digital revolution.
Gone are the badly-worded leaflets anonymously delivered to voters’ homes or posted to newspaper offices.
Today it seems the way to criticise a local council, expose a government conspiracy or bait a politician is a blog – a diary that anyone can start and everyone can see.
In Brimbank, anonymous blogs are fast becoming the tool of choice to achieve similar results.
They’re used to organise protests, debate council policies and, most controversially, spar with political opponents – particularly among the ALP’s warring factions.
In July, a pornographic image was uploaded to an online forum as part of a jibe against Brimbank mayor Natalie Suleyman. The post, made under a pseudonym, was probably made in Brimbank but could have been made from any computer in the world.
Earlier that same month, Star reported on a blog devoted to criticising Brimbank councillor Costas Socratous. The blogger is free with his or her judgement of Cr Socratous, but is less so with their own identity or political background.
Comments on the site hint that he or she regularly attends council meetings in Sunshine but, for the purposes of a blog, they might as well be based on the moon.
Last week, a blog containing evidence from the Sam Tabban bribery case – a transcript of a taped conversation between the former councillor and Craig Otte, a witness in the case – was published online.
In court the full evidence was available to only four journalists and the parties involved. Now online, it is available to the world.
The blog contains damaging allegations of branch-stacking and corruption that Star, for legal reasons, cannot publish. But the totally anonymous blog is, in effect, outside the reach of the law.
It is for these reasons that the role of blogs is coming under scrutiny. Victoria University multimedia teacher Stefan Schutt, an expert on blogs, believes blogs enhance democratic participation but come at the cost of principles generally associated with political comment.
“It’s a different dynamic,” Mr Schutt told Star.
“The control of information in broadcasting is one central source, but blogs are more like a pinball machine – the ball gets bouncing and there really is no control.
“This lack of filtering is a threat to organisations that were once controlling the information.
“Now there is change in the sphere between private throughts and public spaces – suddenly the waters are murky,” he said.
Blogs are not threatening to bring down Brimbank City Council – yet – but they are annoying those in the public eye.
Cr Suleyman is the subject of much praise and ridicule on blogs.
They have been used not only to criticise her policies but even poke fun at the way she speaks, the way she behaves, her family and political allies.
She was outraged with the pornographic picture that appeared on the SunRRA website and is open in her disdain for the association.
At the same time, she is bemused that both her supporters and opponents devote their time to blogging and internet forums.
“I don’t have time for these things,” Cr Suleyman said, “but I am told about them from time to time.
“Obviously these people have too much time on their hands blogging away anonymously – they’re obsessed.
“I’d say 80 per cent of the stuff that’s written is pretty vile and disgusting.
“If they really cared about the issues they would not post it anonymously.”
SunRRA president Darlene Reilly is quick to condemn derogatory comments that appear on the website. She said the pornographic image was removed soon after it was detected.
The association has four moderators who take turns monitoring the site for material deemed out of bounds, she said.
“We don’t like to overly police the forum but our moderators do watch out for racial vilification and anything that is heavy-handed or provocative.”
The association has considered shutting down the forum or requiring bloggers to register, but has decided against such moves.
Ms Reilly said the forum remained an important tool.
“Our members can communicate about what’s happening in the community and what they experience on a personal level with councillors.
“Of course sometimes it can get hijacked, but SunRRA remains focussed on a community agenda, making this area a better place to live in.”
According to Mr Schutt, these conflicting views reflect how susceptible blogs are to misuse.
“It’s two-edged sword. It means people can get actively involved with their local government without having to attend the scout hall on a Wednesday night,” Mr Schutt said.
“But would that same person attending that scout hall then hand out pornographic im-ages of the mayor to the people attending. That’s the difference with blogs, the anonymity they provide.
“People are given their individual soap-boxes – and not all that is said is thoughtful or considered.”
The uptake of blogs and online forums as political tools is booming.
In the United States, bloggers have influenced election outcomes and major policy decisions without leaving their computers or revealing their real names.
