According to National Journal’s Technology Daily, “[Michigan] State Senate Republican leaders moved to restrict access to Blogging for Michigan, a liberal blog where their Democratic colleagues recently began contributing in a series of guest posts on a variety of issues. Access to the blog was restored after Democrats accused their rivals of limiting free speech.”
According to the Michigan State University State News, “Other political Web sites, like the conservative-leaning blog, www.rightmichigan.com, and the liberal site, www.michiganliberal.com, weren’t blocked. Matt Miner, Bishop’s chief of staff, told MIRS, a Lansing political newsletter, www.michiganliberal.com doesn’t ‘say bad things about us,’ according to The Associated Press.”
This is a good example of the complexities of government information in the digital age. When governments start seeing the internet as a way of communicating with constituents and e-government becomes the the norm, are some avenues of communication legitimate and some not? Should anyone in government have the authority to cut off access to anything for any reason — or is such control, by definition, censorship?
- Blog-Filtering Dispute Erupts In Michigan [subscription required] by Michael Martinez, National Journal’s Technology Daily. State Roundup (August 9, 2007)
- Blogging Is Constituent Work by Christine, Blogging for Michigan, Wed Aug 08, 2007 at 19:52:36 PM EDT
- Senate loses liberal blog access, by Chris Christoff, Detroit Free Press August 7, 2007
- Blocking blog site shows political bias, Michigan State University State News
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