Political blogging, for and by students

Kathleen McCaffrey loves politics, but she doesn't want to be a politician.

Instead, McCaffrey, a CAS sophomore, channels her interest in politics into a blog. The Politicizer, a website co-founded by McCaffrey and George Washington University student Conor Rogers, features op-ed articles from students of the "internet generation" representing the entire political spectrum. The website itself launched in May 2009, and has since garnered over 100,000 hits.

The Politicizer runs articles on topics from health care to the environment, written by students that identify as moderates, Democrats, Republicans, and everything in between. The staff itself is composed of students from NYU, GWU and Columbia University, among other universities.

The opportunity to write the news from her generation's perspective intrigued McCaffrey. A New Jersey native, McCaffrey was heavily involved in politics and debate in high school and was active in the Bergen County Republican Committee. Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose" introduced her to the libertarian philosophy, which she has since held as her political viewpoint. Yet for McCaffrey, politics is not a pulpit from which to preach, but rather a way to analyze what happens in the news.

"We like to understand other people's arguments — it's good to read someone's opinion piece because you see into their thought process," McCaffrey said. "Politically, we aren't trying to refine each other's tastes, we're trying to circulate ideas."

SCPS freshman Briannon Gillis said she appreciates The Politicizer's honesty in hosting writers from a wide range of political viewpoints, which allows the reader to see an argument from several perspectives. Students like Gillis can connect with the opinions that peer writers publish to the blog.

"The fact that the writers are younger and part of our own generation makes it very appealing to students who are interested in politics and want to read something that they can associate with and understand," Gillis said.

Readers of the blog are certainly connecting with what the staff writers have to say, and are very vocal about their opinions. The blog's comment section is popular with regular readers — even when the dialogue is in heated disagreement. This reader interaction forces the writers to back up their opinions.

"We all have to make sure every piece is completely researched, because no one wants their article completely dissected by a commenter," said staff writer and CAS sophomore Om Pandya. "It makes for very intelligent and reasoned discussion, which I am thrilled to be a part of."

If all goes according to McCaffrey's plan, The Politicizer will become even more relevant to students. She hopes to expand the concept into two websites, one of which would be focused on Washington D.C. to cover "protests and what's happening on the Hill." The other would be NYC-centric, and lean toward the financial side of politics.

Overall, one of The Politicizer's goals is to reach out to people of all ages interested in politics. Times have changed: As McCaffrey said, it's hard to find even a conservative writer among the around-20-year-old set that staunchly advocates for traditional marriage. The Politicizer hopes to overcome the generation gap and open the minds of both the young and the old.

"We hope that the site is a good reflection of how our generation feels about politics, and that everyone that visits our site will come to an understanding," McCaffrey said. "Our generation is often criticized for being too insipid and frivolous, and this is a good way to showcase that there are a lot of thoughtful young people out there."