After trying her hand as a political activist, Holly Richardson started blogging as “Holly on the Hill” during the 2009 legislative session. This year, she is covering the Legislature full-time through her blog and Twitter feed. She also recently traveled to Washington, D.C., as one of only 100 national bloggers covering the American Conservative Union’s Conservative Political Action Conference, commonly known as CPAC.
What’s your goal during the legislative session for your blog?
What I wanted to do was make sure the people reading had an opportunity to participate in a way that maybe they don’t otherwise. I do short blogs, 250 to 500 words, on subjects that may not hit the mainstream media. Of course, there are things that we cover that are the same, but some things are very different that may not be as interesting to [daily newspapers].
How do politicians view you?
They see me as a journalist. They respect me in a way that’s different from when I was up here as an activist. They don’t want to tick me off. They didn’t mind, as a political activist, when they said, ‘I totally oppose you.’ But now that I’m reporting, they want to be my friend.
What advice would you give to political bloggers?
One of the things that makes my blog stand out is that I am passionate about politics. I love it. Blog about what you love. But try to not be so partisan. I am slanted.
I am conservative, and it shows. But I try to not be so slanted ... I don’t swear, and I don’t name-call. Also, keep it short and sweet. The long, philosophical diatribes just don’t sell.
What have you learned from working with journalists?
Just go up to people and ask them a question. I introduce myself as a blogger now, when I used to say, ‘I am just a blogger.’ Most people know me, on both sides, and I’ll ask the questions and they’ll answer.
What can journalists learn from you?
I don’t have an editor, and I can post very quickly. The journalists up here are fast and will get things online very quickly. But, one of the things I bring is the ability to actually have some opinions.
For more blogging tips and political insight, listen to this podcast of the entire interview with Holly Richardson.
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