From fundraising to volunteer mobilization, the Obama campaign team used every online and digital tool it could to secure him the presidency. Now in power, the new president has taken the first steps towards making the US government more technologically connected and more interactive with its constituency. President Obama has already brought change to the White House through his use of technology to govern. He uses new media in an unprecedented way from his daily emails to subscribers detailing his plans for action to his internet weekly addresses to remain connected with citizens.
Politicians use the media as a way to set their agenda. They can promote an issue to bring it to the attention of the public. Politicians are now setting their agenda’s by appealing to the public directly. The use of the internet in the political sphere has opened doors that were once only used to the media. The public can now receive email messages from politicians informing them on the currents laws passed by the politician and find out where they stand on certain policy issues. This also provides a personal appeal that could not be given by the media.
Take the daily emails from the Obama administration for example. These emails let me know what is happening in the government, such as what policies are being considered, as well as allow me to show either my support or dislike for those policies through a link for a discussion board. These emails keep me up to date on issues I may otherwise have missed. I have to say I look forward to my daily emails from the Obama administration. It is exciting to be a part of change. Others may not feel the same. Many would argue that these emails are cluttering their inboxes but I think there is valuable information politicians need to get out to the public and that these emails are a convenient way to do just that.
The public can also access President Obama’s webpage and see his recovery plans for the economic crisis rather than hearing a distorted version of his ideas through the biased media. The American people can also use the multimedia offered on the site to watch videos of the president. Last week the president gave his speech to a Joint Session of Congress. For those who missed it, his speech can be accessed on YouTube as well as through a posting on the president’s website.
Rather than relying on journalists to serve as a watchdog, the public can now hold politicians personally accountable for the promises they do not live up to through this more private relationship with the politicians. President Obama plans to try to skip the media, while delivering his message directly to the public, albeit via a more high tech mode. Just this past Saturday morning, the president delivered one of his weekly addresses on the internet where he explained how the budget he sent to Congress will fulfill the promises he made as a candidate.
This new technologically advanced White House administration does invite criticism however. Many argue that the Obama administration may not always like what they hear from the citizens on their forums and discussion boards and they may begin to censor certain messages from appearing thereby limiting democracy. Some are fearful that his efforts will create a government-controlled news channel, which will destroy independent journalism. In his article, Bennett claims that politicians dominate the media and frame messages from their perspective in order to shape public opinion.
I seem to be more fearful of the media in the sense that I would rather be given the information straight from the source and formulate my own opinions than be spoon fed the media’s perception of politics. We have become an interactive society and we should no longer sit idly by waiting to be given information from the media when we can receive the same info ourselves straight from the politicians themselves. I would also argue that technology seems to encourage participation in a democracy because it provides people with outlets needed to express their views. In fact we should encourage local politicians to take advantage of the internet the way Obama has and create a connection with their constituents in order to restore trust in our government. Although it would be strange to have Governor Patterson or Mayor Bloomberg as my friend on Facebook, as long as I am kept up to date on where my tax money is going I will take e-democracy in any form I can.
