Engagement with Government on Social Media
I do not nor have I ever used new media to engage with government. As a student-athlete, our social media accounts are monitored by compliance. We are not banned from posting our opinions or politically-related things, but it is not necessarily encouraged and thus many student-athletes choose to refrain from posting any such content.
If I were to use new media to engage with the government, I would likely use Twitter. Although I never Tweet from my twitter account now, I feel Twitter is the most appropriate space for engaging in discussion with government officials because it is easy to send and reply with short, to-the-point messages. Out of all popular social media platforms, I also feel that Twitter is the most acceptable platform to be opinionated or voice concerns on. People always complain about political content on Facebook and Instagram is better used to post about things, not necessarily to engage in conversation unless it is through direct message.
Forbes posted an article in 2017 about using social media as an engagement platforms for government outreach: xhttps://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/10/02/social-media-as-a-vital-engagement-platform-for-government-outreach/#34e94164b29f
In the article, Forbes writer Matt Anthes discusses how the government has been slow to adopt innovative technology and utilize social media and social listening tools the ways businesses have been doing. Anthes points out that the government could particularly capitalize on their social media presence in the face of natural disasters to raise support for disaster relief. The article also discusses how government officials’ social media presence has changed since Trump took office. Trump is infamous for his direct tweets and the ways he engages with citizens directly, for better or for worse. While the content of his tweets is often questionable, there is something to be said for the way he engages directly with citizens, breaking down barriers between government officials and the people. It seems that both the government and citizens are becoming more comfortable engaging in communication with each other via social media. I think this increased communication is a good way to get people more involved with their local, state, or federal government. It does mean that government agencies or officials need to have a heightened sense of awareness of everything they post so as not to dig themselves into any holes, but in my opinion, the increased transparency is a positive.
Questions for Guest Speaker:
- What need are you serving with Granicus? How did you discover the need for such a service?
- Your LinkedIn profile says Granicus delivers “safer communities, happier commuters, healthier families, and better government.” How do you measure “safer”, “happier”, “healthier”, and “better”?
