Diversity in the Virginia Blogosphere? Yes and No.

By: Lowell
Published On: 8/6/2007 8:42:28 AM

An article in today's Washington Post points to a "sea of middle-aged white males" at Yearly Kos, and a lack of diversity - mostly white male - in the national, progressive blogosphere.  According to the article:

Last year's Blogads Reader Survey found that the median political blog reader is a 43-year-old male who has an annual family income of $80,000, and judging by the number of middle-aged men who attended one panel after the next here, it's hard to argue with that.

What about the Virginia blogosphere?  I reviewed NLS's list of blogs, looked at the ones that were active (e.g., have posts within the last  month or two), and attempted to ascertain the gender and ethnicity of their primary (active) blogger(s).  In the case of group blogs such as RK, I counted people who regularly post on the "front page."  Here's what I found (I looked at active blogs and tried to ascertain the gender and ethnicity/race as best I could):

*Overall, Virginia bloggers are 78% male and 22% female. 

*As far as I can tell, only about 5% of Virginia bloggers are minorities (Hispanic, African American, Asian).

*Among clearly Democratic blogs, the ratio is 62% male to 38% female, with 11% minorities.

*Among clearly Republican blogs, the ratio is 98% male to 2% female, with 0% minorities.

*Overall, Virginia is about 68% non-Hispanic white and 32% minority.

In sum, Virginia Democratic blogs are relatively diverse (almost 2/5 female, 1 in 10 minority), although they still have a ways to go to reach the demographic diversity of Virginia as a whole.  In contrast, Virginia Republican blogs are almost monolithically white male. 

P.S. Raising Kaine is always looking for good bloggers - women, men, black, white, Hispanic, gay, straight, whatever.  The main thing is that you're supportive of our mission, to promote Progressive ideas and Democratic candidates.  We hope you'll come join us.

Comments



Put (Gordie - 8/6/2007 9:11:37 AM)
at least one 71 year old on your list, who blogs on RK, Democratic Central and Rude Clerk.


Female, age 77 years (Teddy - 8/6/2007 9:38:20 AM)
in 4 months. Does that count? Gordie and I clearly skew the stats.


Male, 42, (kestrel9000 - 8/6/2007 9:58:49 AM)
Spanish surname (Mexican, in fact, on my dad's side) and also a religious minority. If that counts.
Oh, and my wife blogs a little, and she is bi. I don't know if that counts in the diversity survey, but it counts for a lot with ME...I know, I know, TMI....:)


Relative Diversity (Evan M - 8/6/2007 10:19:38 AM)
If I am figuring this correctly, while the Virginia blogosphere is not as diverse as the population of Virginia, I think we're probably more diverse than the representation of that population in state elected government. Which is to say, I think the Virginia blogosphere is more diverse than the Virginia legislature.

To me, that's saying something. The Legislature has had nigh on 240 years to achieve a good degree of diversity, and we've had what, 5 years?

Not that I'm helping with the diversity (32 year old white male) from a blogosphere standpoint, but I hope to from an electoral politics standpoint.



In the Spirit of George Allen (Kenton - 8/6/2007 10:37:27 AM)
I'm a proud Ethnic.

What of it?



well, what counts is (Sui Juris - 8/6/2007 10:50:31 AM)
whether you still eat the sandwiches your mother makes you.


Women do a lot of blogging (Rebecca - 8/6/2007 12:14:46 PM)
Maybe the women were at home with the kids, and blogging.


Well... (JasonK - 8/6/2007 12:53:18 PM)
While Kenney come from the Irish roots on my father's side, my mother's side accounts for the Lebanese, but ultimately I'd rather be called an American.  Which might make me a minority...


I'm an almost 50 (Catzmaw - 8/6/2007 1:24:39 PM)
Irish-Italian American female who has to wave her hands around excitedly while indulging her hair-trigger temper.  It was always said in my family that the Irish and Italians hate each other, and you should hear my Massachusetts Italian relatives dissing the Boston Irish every chance they get, but they sure do like to intermarry a lot.  The Italian side tends to be of the liberal Teddy Kennedy Democrat variety, but my Pennsylvania Irish coal mining related father would have been a Jim Webb Democrat for sure.  No blue bloods, just blue collars, and a few red necks.