The changing face of NDP communications

In following the long list of articles and blog postings calling for the firing of Brad Levigne, or a major shift in NDP communication strategy, I have decided to weigh in (although my blogging credentials weigh me in as a 'lightweight') on what seems to be early signs of a shift in tactics. I cannot say anything about what its shifting to, that's what "hoping" is for. Perhaps more generally, a change from what has been seen as an ineffective three-point doctrine of:

1. Broken-record messaging; show absolutely no depth of conviction or argument
2. Having a strategy online is useless, no matter how much mainstream media ignores our expensive efforts to breakthrough
3. Jack, everywhere, everytime, everyplace, and more Jack on top of that.

However following the radical thought put forward by the likes of the Norther BC Dipper, My Blahg and Le Revue Gauche and to a lesser degree My Journey With Aids to fire Brad Levigne for showing absolutely no comprehension of the internet, etc. might well have caused a stir in the communications office. Allegedly, those three blogging dippers received emails
from Joanne Deer who claimed that Levigne was nolonger the Director of Communications, that as of October she is the Director of Communications, and that Levigne is working elsewhere with the party. Many apt bloggers were quick to point out that the website, under the care of the Communications Office was two months out of date; hilarity ensued.

As I'm soon to discuss, as we see changes in the communications tactics these days, it is also possible that a clever cover story was made up to guard the egos of the party office from the torment of having to actually listen to the reason of the grassroots. This would after all mean that four prominent bloggers, who consequentially attracted a Maclean's article within a week, actually affected the party. With other parites/governments, things take years, and millions of dollars to effectively get that one person out of a job! What scary implications this has for when a political entity is now controlled by the party.

Which leads me to my thoughts on the changing communications strategies:

1. Jack recently (following the blogoshpere stir) had two media appearances, in both he spoke with great enthusiasm, and depth on the issues. While he managed to stay on message, he was nevertheless able to show that he was more than a catch phrase photo-op. I've attached the bulk of his press conference, which I think received pretty mediocre analysis in the mainstream media.
2. More media is making its way out showing more of a variety of "NDP imaging". Although Jack is still prominent, there are more people getting in the shots, and Jack is looking more personable and real than before. I can only hope this is a change towards Jack being portrayed as a poster-person for the agenda, rather than the agenda becoming loosely affiliated with Jack's ego.
3. It finally happened. The e.NDP newsletter quoted as one of their "Final Words" a blog!

"The NDP's 'green' platform has been costed out and turns out to be more workable, more pragmatic, affordable, achievable, and would deliver measurable results than anything the Greens could ever hope, or the Liberals have delivered."

–LeftCoastRant blog posting, December 16"

This can only lead me to believe that things are changing for the better. I hope this will help the party Office to understand that "the internet" and blogs are of more help to the party than of harm. More importantly, the party could begin to utilize the massive bloggin dipper population to their advantage. What they will soon realize that trivializing the internet's capacity, or the relevance of blogs will simply mean supportive blogs are put to their own means of syndication with relatively poor results; as compared to an embraced blogging community, who's articles are syndicated with the support of the party, and who's content are driven in part by media from central office. The lesson, which has only taken them several years to find out is that they will have far more success and "control of the messaging" by embracing openness and independent information, rather than rejecting it. So for Joanne, who it seems is responsible for this change, thank you. You are free to post this article on ndp.ca if you so choose.