Bloggasm

Damian Penny is a lawyer in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada. Inspired by the aftermath to 9/11 and popular sites like InstaPundit.com, He started up his weblog, Daimnation!, in October, 2001. His site – which concentrates primarily on international affairs, but also Canadian politics, pop culture, cars and sports – is affiliated with Blogging Tories and Pajamas Media.

Simon Owens: As a Canadian blogger, do you think a lot of American’s flock to your blog in order to get an outside view on US policy?

Damian Penny: My site gets a lot of readers from the United States, and some of them may be motivated by a desire to get an “outside view” of world affairs and American policy. However, my opinions are generally pro-American and supportive of the war on terror, so I think many of my U.S. readers see the site as little different from one of their homegrown blogs.

Simon Owens: Do you think that bloggers who interact with bloggers from other countries are more likely to get both sides of every story?

Damian Penny: Absolutely. Right now, Shire Network News, a weekly podcast to which I provide audio commentaries is running a discussion between an Australian-Israeli blogger and a blogger from Egypt. The listeners are richer for the experience. My own site gets comments and feedback from all over the world, and I think it makes my site much better.

Simon Owens: Are blogs slowly becoming a watch-dog group on the Mainstream Media?

Damian Penny: Yes, especially in the wake of “Rathergate.” But blogs will never replace the mainstream media – the newspapers and TV networks have resources far beyond what we have, though some sites are adding more and more original reporting. You’re already seeing MSM organizations start their own blogs, hire well-known bloggers (like Andrew Sullivan, now blogging for Time), and generally do what they can to co-opt this new format.

Simon Owens: Is there a Canadian version of the New York Times that Candian blogs try to constantly monitor for factual mistakes?

Damian Penny: Probably the Globe and Mail, which calls itself “Canada’s National Newspaper”. Mark Collins, one of my co-bloggers, is regularly all over its articles. The Toronto Star and CBC also come in for a lot of criticism on the right, while Canadian left-wing bloggers turn their guns on the National Post and Global television.

Simon Owens: Do you think that a lot of conservative American blogs are somewhat hostile towards Canadian blogs because they don’t exactly agree with a lot of Canadian policy?

Damian Penny: I’ve never had the impression that American blogs were hostile toward Canadian bloggers. Hostile toward some of our government’s policies, perhaps, but not the bloggers.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs you’d recommend to supplement the reading of your own?

Damian Penny: Here in Canada, I recommend Steve Janke, Kathy Shaidle, Colby Cosh, Greg Staples and Sari Stein. Also, if you can convince Bob Tarantino to resume blogging, I’d really appreciate it.

(Related posts: Interview with Terminus, Interview with Matt Welch, assistant opinion editor for the Los Angeles Times, Interview with Michael Ubaldi from ublog)