About Guido’s Blog
Origins
Intentions
The primary motivation for the creation of the blog was purely to make mischief at the expense of politicians and for the author’s own self-gratification. At the time most political blogs, from the author’s viewpoint, were earnest and serious. His intention was to create a more fun, gossipy and acerbic “anti-politics” form of commentary. Never having suffered from a lack of intellectual confidence, the adoption of tabloid news values was not embarrassing or accidental, it was a deliberate and necessary step towards becoming popular. The British blogosphere was at the time full of wannabee Telegraph and Guardian leader writers and a lot of “Fisking” – the tedious line-by-line critique of long boring articles in the form of an even longer, even more boring article.
Inspirations
Guido set out to be sensationalist, Matt Drudge was an inspiration, Kelvin Mackenzie’s Sun of the 80s was another. The camp, politically incorrect tone of the media/music/culture/whatever website, Popbitch, is deliberately echoed. When media pundit Roy Greenslade described Guido’s blog as “the bastard love-child of Popbitch and Kelvin Mackenzie”, Guido was proud of his parentage. Madame Popbitch herself contacted Guido to say she was proud of her offspring.
Perception
Guido sees himself as a journalist, a campaigning journalist who publishes via a website. He campaigns against political sleaze and hypocrisy. He doesn’t believe in impartiality nor pretend to it.
Reception
Guido has frequently broken stories that have gone on to dominate newspaper pages. He often gets stories out before broadcasters. The blog is read widely in the Westminster political village and in newsrooms.
The blog was once the Guardian’s political commentary blog of the year and has won numerous new media awards Guido had never heard of before nor in all likelihood will ever again. Guido regularly appears in those wanky annual lists of media movers and shakers. He pays no attention to them, but secretly always likes it when he is ranked higher than Nick Robinson.
Why is it written in the third person? “Guido was.. Guido understands… Guido this, that and the other?”
It is because he is “in character”. Many newspaper diarists use the same device. At home Guido says “may I have the butter” on the blog however…
Do you delete comments you disagree with?
This blog is private property, not a public commons, readers are guests. Guido is a believer in freedom of speech and suggests you exercise it by starting your own blog.
Rankings and Traffic – are you really the most popular blog in Britain?
In 2008 The Economist listed Guido as Britain’s most popular blog, as does the industry monitor Hitwise. The Guardian says Guido is the 79th most powerful media figure and the 7th most powerful digital media industry player. Editorial Intelligence’s panel of the great and the good says Guido is Britain’s most influential blogger. Mrs Fawkes just snorts and tells him to change the baby’s nappy…
