The first changes took place immediately after President Obama was officially in power: The official White House Blog was launched. It’s like a “regular” blog. It has all the components of one--except commenting has not been enabled. :)
The first order President Obama signed off on is a post on the blog. The “filter” that is so often referred to between the party in power and the mainstream media has officially been removed. This president can speak directly to those of us with Internet access, and will do so via the presidential blog and YouTube.
President Obama is already an Internet star; check out this ancient footage from four years ago when Ciroc Obama, more commonly known as Diddy or Sean Combs, met Barack Obama for the first time.
What Makes This Trend Stand Out
- Direct Presidential Communication
- The launch of the White House Blog and use of YouTube demonstrates a trend towards direct communication between the President and citizens, offering opportunities for platforms that facilitate this communication.
- Government Transparency
- The White House Blog's openness to share behind-the-scenes content and Obama's push for transparency creates trends towards more open and accountable governments, facilitating platforms that increase transparency.
- Social Media Civic Engagement
- President Obama's use of social media for civic engagement, including live tweeting during events and the White House's use of YouTube, Instagram and Facebook creates an opportunity for social platforms as venues for civic participation.
Sectors Adopting This
- Social Media
- Social media platforms can capitalize on the trend of direct presidential communication and social media civic engagement.
- Government Technology
- There is a growing need for technological solutions that increase government transparency and promote civic engagement.
- Online Journalism
- The trend towards direct communication and governmental openness creates opportunities for online journalists and news outlets to cover the government in a more accessible and in-depth way.
