A recent article on Mashable about the predictions of how news media will change in 2011, got me thinking about how these sort of predictions might effect how government distributes it’s own news.
Government is still very much in the process of pushing news out via news releases. It’s even pushing the same content out, in many cases, via social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc). There’s been a lot of organization adding in the ability to reshare content using third-party tools, retweet buttons, etc.
But how can government really push forward in 2011 with integrating social media and social networking into it’s standard process of news release writing? Just as The Times as decentralized it’s social media efforts, would the same sort of move work with your typical public affairs offices?
Chime in…offer up your ideas and thoughts.
Looking at Mashable’s list I can’t believe that number 6 hasn’t happened already. Also I’m definitely ready for number 3 tablet first news!!!
I wonder how government will also be effected by not only how the news is delivered through various devices, but also how the internal processes of how government delivers it’s news, what’s actually considered news, and how that’s pushed externally. With so much information coming our way from every direction—when we want it and when we don’t want it—it’s becoming increasingly difficult for government agencies to deliver what THEY consider news and getting their message out as opposed to what the public considers actual news. I have a suspicion that while many agencies might not be able to trim their “news staff,” like the private sector can, they’ll most certainly have to trim what they consider to be newsworthy.
This is probably something that should be already, but it’s even more important nowadays to focus on the more significant items rather than every item.
I think it begins with transparency rather than polishing (PR), then interactivity. Hate pushing.
It would be great to see agencies get more use out of YouTube to send out more of their news. This would make their material much more attractive with mobile and tablet users moving forward. For instance, what Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has done with his “First Questions” series, where he answers questions from the public before his press briefings, seems like a great example for other leaders to follow.