Why does the British Ambassador need a blog? - Leigh Turner's interview to Delo

Was it your own decision to start blogging or was it the FCO’s encouragement to start blogging that contributed to your decision?

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office believes blogging can be an important tool to communicate with some audiences in different countries around the world which are difficult to reach via the mainstream media.  Blogging by itself is not enough.  But as part of an integrated communications strategy it can be effective.  I discussed some of these issues in my piece “Cyberpunks and The Matrix: online Kyiv Offline”.  In addition, because of my experience as a journalist, I was keen to try writing a blog.  So far I have enjoyed the experience immensely.

What is the main aim of your blog?

There are several aims.  One is to deliver important messages about political  or economic developments in Ukraine and the UK.  Examples would include “A way to improve Ukrainian democracy in 2011”, “Ukraine: how politics affects inward investment”; “Stopping bribery in Ukraine – and the UK” or “Why HIV/AIDS in Ukraine matters to us all”.  But blogging also has the aim of showing that the United Kingdom is an interesting and innovative country, and that the British Embassy in Kyiv takes a lively interest in all aspects of Ukrainian life and culture.  So I aim to write some blogs about wider aspects of the culture and history of Ukraine and the UK, and what this tells us about both countries.  Examples include “I can burn your face”, about what an exhibition of art at the Tate Modern in London can tell us about the balance between secrecy and freedom of information; “Ukrainian lessons #3: crisis vocab”;  “Can Ukraine learn from the Stasi?”; or “The Armageddon Button”, about the museum of strategic rocket forces in Ukraine.  

In your opinion who is your reader?  Are your readers mainly from Ukraine or European countries?

We receive analysis of the locations of people reading the blog.  This shows that, to begin with, most readers were in the UK, Canada and the United States, with a significant but smaller number coming from Ukraine.  Over time, the proportion of Ukrainian readers has steadily increased.  I hope we can ensure that this trend continues.  But that means writing blogs that people will want to read.  You’re only as good as the last blog you wrote.  In addition, the blogs are reproduced on the Kyiv Post website, on the Korrespondent website, and in the Ukrainska Dumka newspaper in London.  All blogs are published in English and Ukrainian.

Do you maintain contact with the readers of your blog?  How often do you reply to the comments in your blog? Do comments give impetus to new topics in your blog?

I always read comments on the blog, and some of them give me ideas for new blogs or inspire me to comment in return.  Others comments are, as they sometimes say themselves, mainly rhetorical.  In general I have been impressed by the thoughtful nature and high quality of the comments on the blog, and would keen to see more.  If any of your readers have ideas for blogs, let me know through the “Comment” facility.

You cover actual topics.  For example your latest blog is devoted to democracy in Ukraine.  Is there any FCO censorship?  Do you need to get prior approval for your blogs?  

The FCO takes the view that final responsibility for blogs must lie with the author of the blog.  So there is no requirement to clear blogs with London.  In general, I always ask a colleague in the embassy to read my blogs before publication to make sure that I have not had a brainstorm and said something absolutely daft.  They often make helpful comments.  I would recommend this principle of a “second pair of eyes” to any journalist or blogger who wants to make sure that they are not going off on some weird track.  

Can you tell about your most popular blog entry, the one that had the biggest feedback?

Several blogs have produced quite a bit of comment.   An early example was “Can we make convoys more democratic?”, about arrangements for convoys of cars travelling through Kyiv.  My blogging around the time of the last presidential elections, for example,  “Economic reform and corruption: what next for Ukraine?” have also proved popular.  In general, comments on the development of democracy in Ukraine provoke a lot of interest.  So do blogs about visa issues, eg “Please don’t get a visa ban”.  Anything about freedom of the media, such as my recent blog “One man and his tongue”, gets a lot of hits – I noticed that this blog was re-tweeted ten times in the first 24 hours.  But I’m pleased to say that some of my more philosophical or humorous attempts also receive a lot of comments, eg “Brainiacs, dwarf planets, podcasts and tweets in Kyiv”.  I’m also pleased when reports on my travel in Kyiv and beyond are popular, eg “Why school number 92 is brilliant”, “Extreme climbing in Kyiv” or “Transcarpathia: castles, skis and the mayor’s car”.  In all these blogs I try to make a political point or two – in the latter case, about the signal sent by the types of cars in which politicians travel.  One blog which has generated particular interest among political and business circles in Kyiv was “Should Ukraine protect Horilka as intellectual property?”, about marketing vodka produced in Ukraine around the world as Horilka, and protecting this as a geographical indication under EU law.  If this idea ever catches on I want a share of the profits.

How do you choose topics for your blog?  How often do your colleagues offer you topics?

Many blog topics arise from my day-to-day programme, eg when I am promoting British businesses or appearing at public events.  But colleagues in the embassy often come up with good ideas for blogs too.  Sometimes I invite them to appear as guest bloggers.  Other times they prefer to let me have their ideas and I write the blog.  All blogs which appear under my name I write myself.

Whose blogs do you read?  Can you name your favourite bloggers (Ukrainian or foreign)?

I do read some bloggers, including ones in Ukraine, but my internet usage is dominated by news websites: the BBC, the Guardian and the Financial Times in the UK; and the BBC Ukrainian website, the Kyiv Post and Ukrainska Pravda for Ukraine.

Can you forecast how soon the blog can become a main communication tool?

I think blogging is already an important communication tool.  But, like nearly all forms of communication, it is selective: not everyone reads blogs, and those who do, like TV audiences, newspaper readers or those who listen to podcasts or the radio, tend to have specific characteristics.  Blogging is a great way to reach audiences you might not reach by other means.  It’s also great fun – another good reason to do it.