Confessions of a political liveblogger: ‘I enjoy it professionally
Andrew Sparrow has been writing the Guardian’s daily political live blog for more than 15 years. How does he cope with the relentless psychodrama of British politics?
TL;DR
- Andrew Sparrow has been writing The Guardian's daily political live blog for over 15 years.
- The live blog format is ideal for covering large document dumps, like the recent Mandelson files.
- Sparrow pioneered liveblogging for UK politics in 2009 to cover the Iraq war inquiry.
- He acknowledges the 'psychodrama' of British politics but finds it professionally exciting.
- The job requires rapid analysis, news judgment, and reader engagement.
- Liveblogging involves continuous work without long breaks but offers a different stress profile than traditional reporting.
- The shift to online journalism and the evolution of social media have changed the media landscape, making it more polarized.
- Sparrow aims to create a searchable archive of political events through his live blog, differentiating it from rolling TV news.