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10.31.2009 0

The Overnights: New Media and Politicians

  • On: 11/13/2009 09:15:38
  • In: Elections

  • The Overnights: New Media and Politicians

    By Adam Bitely

    New Media is the most powerful way for politicians to foster a personal relationship with their constituents. Sites like Twitter and Facebook allow politicians to interact in a more personal way with people than ever before. Imagine a member of congress interacting with their constituents on a day-to-day basis in 1790. This is a relatively new concept.

    While politicians having a presence on these social media sites is good, it can also be bad. For instance, during campaign season, most candidates increase their presence on these sites to woo potential voters. However, they will often decrease presence after the election season. This sends the message that they were only trying to gain votes and were not truly interested in interacting with the public.

    In 2009, many of the candidates for office in Virginia and New Jersey created Twitter accounts that went dormant the day after the elections. While this is not surprising, it is unfortunate that they could have had an opportunity to interact with their constituents and truly delivered a government by the people and not by the politicians.

    Politicians better make sure that they keep an active presence in their social networks. Bloggers pay attention to this stuff and will also point it out to one’s embarrassment.

    Adam Bitely is the Executive Director of NetRightNation.com.


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