Critical Voices in the Australian Political Blogosphere Assoc. Prof. Axel Bruns, Tim Highfield ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation Queensland University of Technology Brisbane, Australia a.bruns , [email_address] – http://snurb.info/ , http://andthentheworld.wordpress.com/ Lars Kirchhoff, Thomas Nicolai Sociomantic Labs Berlin, Germany lars.kirchhoff , [email_address] – http://sociomantic.com/

A New Approach to Blog Mapping Process stages (cf. ISEA 2008 , AoIR 2008 papers): data gathering and processing track large number of (broadly) political Australian blogs through RSS feeds scrape blog content for newly posted entries separate blog post content from ancillary materials / separate discursive links from other link types (grow master list of blogs as required) content analysis combine extracted blog post content (per blog, per cluster, per timeframe, …) automated analysis to identify key themes and keywords currently using Leximancer network analysis combine extracted link information (overall, per timeframe, per cluster, …) automated network mapping to identify lead blogs and clusters currently using VOSON, Pajek, and UCINet combined analysis e.g. comparative content analysis for lead blogs and clusters in the link network e.g. correlation of blogosphere patterns with external factors (parallel themes in MSM, etc.) (First iteration Nov. 2007 to Jan. 2008; second iteration Jan. 2009 to present)

Process stages (cf. ISEA 2008 , AoIR 2008 papers):

data gathering and processing

track large number of (broadly) political Australian blogs through RSS feeds

scrape blog content for newly posted entries

separate blog post content from ancillary materials / separate discursive links from other link types

(grow master list of blogs as required)

content analysis

combine extracted blog post content (per blog, per cluster, per timeframe, …)

automated analysis to identify key themes and keywords

currently using Leximancer

network analysis

combine extracted link information (overall, per timeframe, per cluster, …)

automated network mapping to identify lead blogs and clusters

currently using VOSON, Pajek, and UCINet

combined analysis

e.g. comparative content analysis for lead blogs and clusters in the link network

e.g. correlation of blogosphere patterns with external factors (parallel themes in MSM, etc.)

(First iteration Nov. 2007 to Jan. 2008; second iteration Jan. 2009 to present)

Australian Politics Online in 2009 Key themes: Global financial crisis and federal government response (throughout 2009) Obama inauguration (20 Jan. 2009) Devastating bushfires in Victoria (early Feb. 2009) Queensland state election (23 Feb. – 21 Mar. 2009) Federal budget (12 May 2009) ‘ Ozcar’ or ‘Utegate’ affair (June-Aug. 2009) Underlying background: Well-established Labor government, mid-way through first term Approval ratings high for PM Rudd, low for Opposition Leader Turnbull Large stimulus spending: Australia only developed nation not in recession Substantial debate about global warming policies (esp. carbon reduction targets) ‘ Rusted-on’ conservative commentariat in some MSM outlets

Key themes:

Global financial crisis and federal government response (throughout 2009)

Obama inauguration (20 Jan. 2009)

Devastating bushfires in Victoria (early Feb. 2009)

Queensland state election (23 Feb. – 21 Mar. 2009)

Federal budget (12 May 2009)

‘ Ozcar’ or ‘Utegate’ affair (June-Aug. 2009)

Underlying background:

Well-established Labor government, mid-way through first term

Approval ratings high for PM Rudd, low for Opposition Leader Turnbull

Large stimulus spending: Australia only developed nation not in recession

Substantial debate about global warming policies (esp. carbon reduction targets)

‘ Rusted-on’ conservative commentariat in some MSM outlets

Overall Patterns of Activity (Jan.-Aug. 2009) Bushfires Budget Artefact Qld Election New Sites Added

MSM Patterns of Activity (Jan.-Aug. 2009) Bushfires Budget Artefact Qld Election Utegate Pt. 2?

Blog Patterns of Activity (Jan.-Aug. 2009) Bushfires Budget Artefact Qld Election Obama Utegate Pt. 1 Utegate Pt. 2

Opinion Patterns of Activity (Jan.-Aug. 2009) Australia Day Budget Qld Election Obama Utegate Pt. 2 Artefact

Top Posters (including MSM)

Top Posters (Blogs and Opinion Columns)

Bushfires in Victoria (~ 7-12 Feb. 2009) ‘ Black Saturday ’ bushfires: Caused by intense heatwave (> 45°C+ or 110°F) Triggered by arson, downed powerlines, lightning, … Started on Saturday 7 February 2009 173 deaths recorded, 2000+ houses destroyed 4500 km 2 burnt Kinglake / Marysville area worst affected Substantial displacement of residents Questions raised over emergency alert systems and bushfire preparedness Final fires put out in mid-March (Images: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Victorian_bushfires )

‘ Black Saturday ’ bushfires:

Caused by intense heatwave (> 45°C+ or 110°F)

Triggered by arson, downed powerlines, lightning, …

Started on Saturday 7 February 2009

173 deaths recorded, 2000+ houses destroyed

4500 km 2 burnt

Kinglake / Marysville area worst affected

Substantial displacement of residents

Questions raised over emergency alert systems and bushfire preparedness

Final fires put out in mid-March

(Images: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Victorian_bushfires )

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 7 February 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 8 February 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 9 February 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 7-9 February 2009

‘ Ozcar’ Affair ‘ Utegate ’ (~ June to August 2009): 2007: car dealer John Grant donates a ‘ute’ (utility vehicle) to Kevin Rudd’s PM election campaign February 2009: Grant enquires about federal assistance under the ‘Ozcar’ financial stimulus scheme 4 June 2009: Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull alleges that Rudd asked Treasury for preferential treatment of Grant, also implicates Treasurer Wayne Swan 4 June 2009: Treasury official Godwin Grech testifies in Senate enquiry, claims pressure from superiors 19 June 2009: Opposition Senator Abetz reads from alleged email from PM advisor to Grech during Senate enquiry 19 June 2009: Turnbull accuses Rudd of corruption and lying to parliament 22 June 2009: Federal Police raid Grech’s house and find email 22 June 2009: Email found to be fake, created by Grech July: Claims Turnbull and Abetz coached Grech’s Senate testimony (unsubstantiated) July: Turnbull’s approval rating as Opposition Leader plummets to record lows 4 Aug. 2009: Grech admits forging email 4 Aug. 2009: Auditor-General’s report finds no wrongdoing by PM or Treasurer (Image: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/24/2606943.htm )

‘ Utegate ’ (~ June to August 2009):

2007: car dealer John Grant donates a ‘ute’ (utility vehicle) to Kevin Rudd’s PM election campaign

February 2009: Grant enquires about federal assistance under the ‘Ozcar’ financial stimulus scheme

4 June 2009: Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull alleges that Rudd asked Treasury for preferential treatment of Grant, also implicates Treasurer Wayne Swan

4 June 2009: Treasury official Godwin Grech testifies in Senate enquiry, claims pressure from superiors

19 June 2009: Opposition Senator Abetz reads from alleged email from PM advisor to Grech during Senate enquiry

19 June 2009: Turnbull accuses Rudd of corruption and lying to parliament

22 June 2009: Federal Police raid Grech’s house and find email

22 June 2009: Email found to be fake, created by Grech

July: Claims Turnbull and Abetz coached Grech’s Senate testimony (unsubstantiated)

July: Turnbull’s approval rating as Opposition Leader plummets to record lows

4 Aug. 2009: Grech admits forging email

4 Aug. 2009: Auditor-General’s report finds no wrongdoing by PM or Treasurer

(Image: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/06/24/2606943.htm )

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 19 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 19 June 2009 (detail)

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 20 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 21 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 22 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 23 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 24 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 4 Aug. 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 5 Aug. 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 19-24 June 2009

Key Themes in the Blogosphere 4-5 August 2009

Analysis Victorian Bushfires: Tracking the growth of a story Limited engagement from the blogosphere due to lack of first-hand access to information, holiday season Shift towards wider issues: climate change, emergency alert systems Utegate: Distraction from major themes Cynics: opposition attempt to disrupt coverage of government’s budget stimulus and opposition’s inaction on carbon reduction policy Ute backfire: Turnbull linked ever more closely with affair, no traction on other issues Rudd central to other political coverage, increasingly distant from Utegate issues Main blogosphere coverage remains focussed on economy, climate change

Victorian Bushfires:

Tracking the growth of a story

Limited engagement from the blogosphere due to lack of first-hand access to information, holiday season

Shift towards wider issues: climate change, emergency alert systems

Utegate:

Distraction from major themes

Cynics: opposition attempt to disrupt coverage of government’s budget stimulus and opposition’s inaction on carbon reduction policy

Ute backfire:

Turnbull linked ever more closely with affair, no traction on other issues

Rudd central to other political coverage, increasingly distant from Utegate issues

Main blogosphere coverage remains focussed on economy, climate change

Further Research Deeper analysis: Comparison between MSM and blogosphere coverage Examination of concept rankings and relations Link network analysis Analysis of further events and issues Comprehensive longitudinal examination Refinement of overall methodology Background information: “ Network and Concept Maps for the Blogosphere ” (Bruns, Kirchhoff, Nicolai, Wilson, Saunders, Highfield, 2008) Utegate as told by LOLCatz

Deeper analysis:

Comparison between MSM and blogosphere coverage

Examination of concept rankings and relations

Link network analysis

Analysis of further events and issues

Comprehensive longitudinal examination

Refinement of overall methodology

Background information:

“ Network and Concept Maps for the Blogosphere ” (Bruns, Kirchhoff, Nicolai, Wilson, Saunders, Highfield, 2008)

Utegate as told by LOLCatz