Mee-ja

This is a great analysis of Tony Blair's speech about the mee-ja (though not as amusing as Simon Kellner's claim that Independent readers are able to understand the difference between news and views). The conclusion is particularly good :


"So meet the next generation of politician.


The one who’s relaxed about their sex life being gossiped about because they know no-one cares really. The one who builds their career through building in depth relationships with narrowband audiences and who never stops communicating directly with them, who realises that authenticity is the key to trust. (Oh, and who has the resources to spend time building relationships- let's not forget that this means legions of communications staff)


The one who is canny enough to use their knowledge of real issues to connect with what remains of the mass audience. The one who is able to keep utterly focussed on the concerns of the coalition of voters behind them and knows that by communicating directly to them they can regards the daily ebb and flow of the no longer mass media with rather greater detachment- and therefore is less obsessed by the teeming multitudes in the lobby.


The one who doesn’t try to set up a plastic outer shell to protect their real selves from the media.


Funnily enough, against this standard it’s the media obsessed, soundbite focussed, image manipulating, mass media, political editor courting David Cameron who’s the analogue politician in a digital age."