Cross-posted from the Congressional Management Foundation blog
Much ballyhoo has been made about the loosely coordinated mid-January effort to encourage citizens to contact Congress and voice opposition to two pieces of Internet-related legislation. The much-publicized darkening of major websites has been hailed as a wake-up call for Internet advocates. However, the strategies and tactics of those opposed to the Stop Internet Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) actually just relied on some tried and true elements of advocacy which have existed for the last 50 years. (more…)
Posted by: Guest Contributor
Cross-posted from Congressional Management Foundation
Congressional offices are receiving between 200 to 1,000 percent more constituent communications than they were ten years ago. Despite the increase, a survey of congressional staff indicates that 90 percent believe constituent communications remains a “high priority” for the office. But sizable percentages of staff report that their offices are shifting resources to manage the increased demand.
The findings are part of a new report released today by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), How Citizen Advocacy Is Changing Mail Operations on Capitol Hill. The report is based on a survey of 260 congressional staff on how email and the Internet are affecting office procedures. CMF researchers also collected mail volume data from ten House and Senate offices.
Read the report here.
“Congress is working hard to adapt to and understand this new environment,” the report states. “But are most Members and staff of the Congress fundamentally rethinking what they do, or simply trying to apply a 20th century paradigm, workflow, and communications process to a 21st century challenge?”
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The Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) today released the first study of congressional staff views of social media, and how it is being used by Congressional Offices. #SocialCongress: Perceptions and Use of Social Media on Capitol Hill shows that most Members of Congress have thoroughly integrated social media into their communications operations, and are using new media tools to gauge public opinion, communicate with constituents, and reach new people.
Click here to read the report.
Among the key findings:
*Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the senior managers and social media managers surveyed think Facebook is a somewhat or very important tool for understanding constituents’ views and opinions, 42% say Twitter is somewhat or very important, and 34% say YouTube is a somewhat or very important tool for understanding constituents’ views and opinions.
*Nearly three-quarters (74%) of the senior managers and social media managers we surveyed think Facebook is somewhat or very important for communicating their Members’ views. YouTube is viewed by nearly three-quarters of staffers surveyed (72%) as somewhat or very important for communicating their Members’ views. More than half (51%) of the staffers surveyed say Twitter is a somewhat or very important vehicle for their Members’ communications.
*A strong majority of staffers (72%) believe that social media allows their Members to reach people they had previously not communicated with. A majority of the staffers (55%) feel social media offers their offices more benefits than risks.
The report is part of CMF’s initiative, the Partnership for a More Perfect Union. The Partnership seeks to enrich the relationship between citizens and Congress through education, building trust, and providing innovative yet pragmatic tools to facilitate purposeful two-way communication.
Posted by: K Street Cafe Editor
Bloomberg Checks In (Tech President)
Mayor Bloomberg stopped by Foursquare’s New York City headquarters to declare Saturday, “Foursquare Day.”
How The Public Is Heard (A More Perfect Union)
This video discusses how citizens’ voices are heard on Capitol Hill.
Posted by: K Street Cafe Editor
Social Media Not So Hot On the Hill (Politico)
The explosion of social media on the Hill has become an excellent way for lawmakers to get their message to constituents, however, some staffers aren’t thrilled with these online tools.
HOW TO: Implement a Social Good Campaign on Facebook (Mashable)
Five ways to take advantage of Facebook’s elements, whether you want to register as a charity or just lend a digital hand.
Posted by: K Street Cafe Editor
Do Not Blast: Hill Staffers Want Personalized Notes, Digital or Otherwise (Tech President)
Email and the Internet are making it easier for the public to reach out to senators and representatives, but that doesn’t mean there’s been a corresponding boom in the public’s ability to shape the course of events happening.
Twitter, as a Helpmate, Goes to Capitol Hill (The New York Times)
Twitter’s Adam Sharp helps the thousands of politicians and government employees already on Twitter to use the tool better.
Posted by: Guest Contributor
By Michael Wm. Schick
For the most part, politicians like cameras (unless, of course, they are in trouble). But assuming they are not, they really do like to be in the spotlight. They come alive when the lights turn on and the cameras flash and roll.
As a former press spokesman for a US Senator, I repeatedly witnessed this phenomenon, especially on State of the Union night. One of my jobs was to escort my boss through the shining sea of network and cable camera crews set up in Statuary Hall right outside the House floor, making sure he took full advantage of the interview opportunities surrounding him.
There is something strangely stimulating about being in front of a camera. It’s like an injection of adrenaline. But during a recent day on Capitol Hill, I witnessed the emergence of a new media stimulant: Twitter. I spent the day shepherding 10 of America’s top mom bloggers to meetings with Members of Congress and their staffs. During the meetings, the bloggers hardly looked at the guest speakers, not because they were rudely checking their emails or texting their friends, but because they were busy transmitting what they were hearing on their smartphones or iPads, tweeting at the speed of light. Some took Twitpics and posted them immediately; some used digital cameras, and then transferred the images from the camera’s memory card to their iPads.
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