N.T. WRONG AND THE BIBLIOBLOGGERS
James Crossley
ABSTRACT
This article builds upon an earlier political analysis of the phenomenon of biblical scholars blogging (‘bibliobloggers’) by incorporating the pseudonymous biblioblogger, ‘N.T. Wrong’. Developing Herman and Chomsky’s Propaganda Model and various ideas concerning surveillance, it is clear Wrong was (and is) a stark opposite to the consistent trend among bibliobloggers that buys into the language and ideas of US-led power, most notably concerning the ‘war on terror’ and Orientalism. Through the pseudonymous persona, Wrong’s blog also ran counter to a culture of surveillance, of which blogging and related internet phenomena are now an integral part. While running counter to these trends in biblioblogging, Wrong became the exception proving the ‘rule’ of the Propaganda Model. Through bibliobloggers ignoring Wrong’s politics on issues relating to US foreign policy so central to the Propaganda Model (and while freely discussing equally ‘non-biblical’ topics), the analysis of biblioblogging as a reflection of the concerns of the Propaganda Model is reinforced. This is shown through dicussion of a number of Wrong’s blog entries and further suggestions are then made concerning the function of liberal and former leftist supporters of imperialism in relation to biblioblogging and the Propaganda Model.
KEYWORDS
propaganda model; biblioblogging; N. T. Wrong