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This research presents blogs as an innovative and rich tool for political communication. Blogs can facilitate two-way communication and true interaction between citizens and politicians. The article analyses in depth the content, uses, and characteristics of five weblogs written by Aragonese politicians. Although the study detects some weaknesses in the current political use of blogs, it encourages political parties to use blogs and other online resources, not only during electoral campaigns to improve the reputation of political leaders but also continuously and particularly in situations of special interest for the citizenship. The study shows that the use of blogs by Aragonese politicians is no longer just a transitory phenomenon and has become a reality. The article also demonstrates that politicians use blogs mostly as a pre-electoral tooland to a much lesser extent as an element of communication to promote democracy. It has been observed that politicians' blogs are used as a tool to overcome situations of crisis and to compensate negative opinions caused by questionable acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research presents blogs as an innovative and rich tool for political communication. Blogs may be able to provide a new two-way communication and true interaction between citizens and politicians. The article analyses the content, use and characteristics in-depth of five weblogs of Aragonese politicians. The study detects a few weaknesses in the current use of blogs by politicians. However, it finally encourages political parties to use blogs and some other online resources to rekindle the reputation of political leaders not only during electoral campaigns but more often, especially in situations of crisis and some other special moments of interest for the citizenship. The study proves that the use of blogs by Aragonese politicians is not a weird phenomenon anymore and it has become a true reality. Also, it is stated that the blog function is mostly pre-electoral, and it is not an element of communication used often to promote democracy. It has been observed the existence blogs by politicians as a tool to overcome crisis or pot-holes. Blogs are used to compensate negative opinions result of certain awkward actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]