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Specifically we combine interview data with content analysis, user surveys and usage data, and finally hyperlink analysis to profile the emergence, popularity, audience and online prominence of four major party blogs since 2005. The core question posed is how far the blogs are challenging parties as the focal point for member activism and offering an alternative public \u2018voice\u2019. The findings show blogs occupy an important alternative critical space for party debate, particularly outside elections. They are not mobilizing tools, however, being used by the grassroots largely for information-gathering and discussion purposes.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444812457329","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2012,9,7]],"date-time":"2012-09-07T21:00:58Z","timestamp":1347051658000},"page":"31-51","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":33,"title":["Party organizational change and ICTs: The growth of a virtual grassroots?"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Rachel K.","family":"Gibson","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kevin","family":"Gillan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Fabienne","family":"Greffet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Nancy 2, France"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Benjamin J.","family":"Lee","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Ward","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Salford, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2012,9,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1461444812457329","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1134271.1134277"},{"key":"bibr2-1461444812457329","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780195151558.001.0001"},{"key":"bibr3-1461444812457329","volume-title":"The New Challenge of Direct Democracy","author":"Budge I","year":"1996"},{"key":"bibr4-1461444812457329","volume-title":"Paper presented at the annual meeting of the International Communication Association","author":"Ceren O","year":"2006"},{"key":"bibr5-1461444812457329","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7551\/mitpress\/7186.001.0001"},{"key":"bibr6-1461444812457329","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/136911899359628"},{"key":"bibr7-1461444812457329","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/oxfordjournals.pa.a028679"},{"key":"bibr8-1461444812457329","first-page":"39","volume-title":"Net Gain? 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