I think government and passion often co-exist (it’s not a oxymoron) and I have been around long enough to have experienced this first hand. But I can say this with certitude only because I have had the privilege of working inside the Beltway for almost two decades. All you have to do is spend some time on GovLoop (for instance) and you realize that there are many outstanding individuals working in government who are committed, understand and believe in the mission of their agency and are totally passionate about what they do. All you have to do is talk to a few YGL members and you’ll feel the commitment that they bring to the table, not only for the important work that they perform day in and day out, but also because they are committed to attracting some of the best and brightest of their peers to the public sector. Ditto for the Partnership for Public Service and the Collaboration Project (under the auspices of the National Academy of Public Administration).

Now before I go too far, take a moment to reflect on the organizations that I chose to mention.  Now set that aside for a moment.

What does government look like nowadays (and by that I mean federal government agencies) if you’re on the outside looking in? Well, I don’ think that I have to spend much time elaborating on the fact that it’s not looking very good. In fact, to a lot of people it’s looking worse than ever. Unresponsive, uncaring and inefficient. And that’s too bad because I think that there is a solution that can be implemented and it’s not a difficult or complicated one. I can’t say that it would solve everything but it would certainly go a long way. Unfortunately, I DO think that its implementation is very little understood within the power structure of most government agencies.

Let’s go back to the organizations that I mentioned at the opening for just a minute. There’s something curious about them and it’s something that makes them different from most federal agencies, or at least what they look like to the outside (that is, if many people outside the Beltway knew about them, but that’s fodder for another post). Their passion is more obvious and transparent because they AREN’T the agencies. Isn’t that interesting? The organizations I’ve mentioned, especially GovLoop, have embraced the collaborative nature of social media and have allowed the passion of many who WORK in the public sector to show through…in an environment that is NOT where they work but that allows them to talk about the work that they do. By and large, the conversation, posts, commentary, participation and plain fun are obvious…and it’s passionate. Folks on GovLoop don’t have to SAY that they are passionate, it’s obvious that they ARE!

And that’s about all there is to it.  Give people a forum for true self expression and their passion will show.  And that’s the best of what social media brings to the table.  When the The Cluetrain Manifesto stated that the internet allowed people to “communicate in language that is natural, open, honest, direct, funny and often shocking.” And that “the human voice is unmistakably genuine,” that “it can’t be faked,” they were talking about passion.  Passion is the secret sauce that makes social media work. Passion is what motivates people to Crush It! as Gary Vaynerchuk would say (and I don’t think I need to explain what he means).

If agencies could wake up to the fact that they need to add a human voice to their communication efforts (some of them are starting to) — especially when choosing to communicate via Facebook, Twitter or their web sites — then pretty soon they would find that their public face would show different and feel different (in a good way) to the very people those agencies are supposed to serve.  People NOT intimately familiar with federal agencies would be able to grasp that there are some very caring and passionate folks working on their behalf because their passion would show. That is, if it was allowed to.

And if the public could see that passion, and feel it, I think that their opinion of government would definitely start to shift in a more positive direction…however slowly.

What do you think?

First, I should tell you that when it comes to technology trends in communication I tend to be an early adopter…not quite on the cutting edge but close enough. I also tend to be enthusiastic about these changes, most of which are happening online, viewing them as a positive step forward in how we engage with content, how we learn and how we obtain our news. But as sources of online content increase in number and scope, coupled with the rise of social networking, it looks as though we may also be in for a future of increasingly balkanized information and fragmented content consumption…something I’ve referred to in the past as info snacking or media snacking. But before I get too deep into an explanation of what I mean by that terminology, let me first describe what my self-created media ecology looks like .

Several years ago we stopped almost all of our magazine & newspaper subscriptions (I still have a couple that I can’t let go of…like Harper’s and The Atlantic…and my wife still gets Washingtonian Magazine). We did this partially in an effort to be “greener,” and partially because we had become increasingly used to getting our news, educational and arts & entertainment content online. So I now read The Economist on my iPad, as well as browse through Politico, the Washington Post, the New York Times, Huffington Post and Slate. I get a digest of the Wall Street Journal in my email inbox every day. I also get e-newsletters from Government Executive, Nextgov, Washington Technology and several other government related publications.

A few months ago, I also decided that we would cancel our cable TV subscription. We had already been getting used to watching movies and documentaries via Netflix (by mail) and other programing fare via Hulu, so I canceled our cable subscription but kept our cable modem, and bought a WiFi router and a Blu-Ray DVD player instead. The router lets me access the speed of the cable modem via various of the WiFi devices we have at home (via our iPads and laptops) and the Blu-Ray DVD player lets me view Netflix and Hulu movies and programs on my TV.

While proud of our move towards more media independence and control, I also wonder about two trends that have accompanied this new state of affairs. Increasingly, both my wife and I can sit in front of the device of our choice and watch (or interact) with whatever content, information and programing we may be interested in at the time, which includes what our friends, colleagues and others may be saying or doing via the various social networks we belong to. It also means that although we have narrowed our own fields of interest, those funnels are now capable of presenting me with almost unlimited choice within that narrower scope. Let me explain. I love documentaries. And furthermore, and more narrowly, I love political and social justice documentaries. Netflix now knows this (better “suggestion” engines, a la Amazon) and has managed to recommend no less than a hundred political and social justice documentaries of all types…and since they make it so easy to add a title to my personal instant “queue,” I’ve got more than a hundred documentaries patiently waiting for me to decide to watch them.

Now multiply similar access to various other passions and interests (via smaller screens on multiple devices) and it’s not hard to imagine that the Aldo Bello media universe is a fairly large space. Not only that, it’s got so many goodies, all of them pre-selected and waiting to be sampled, that it’s hard to stay with only one thing…hence, my media snacking comment. I have found myself sampling and accessing content of short duration from many different sources. The social media networks actually function best in this manner…Twitter being the most extreme example…but Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media spaces function very similarly…short bursts of content, often devoid of larger context. Additionally, when I got rid of my magazine and newspaper subscriptions and began to sample news and information via selected online sources, I have been reading more but not as deeply, another problem associated with media snacking.

So one trend is towards media snacking which I believe, forces one to sample, and which often implies that deeper understanding is out of the question. But I’ve observed an even more disturbing trend, and that is towards the balkanization of information. Aldo Bello’s universe of online media is so attractive that it tends to present me with the things that I want (hurrah for that) but keeps me from accessing other information, in a way that hardly ever happened with print magazines and newspapers…or cable TV (even though I could always choose to ignore certain channels, and did). Increasingly, I hear people talk about the content that they access in a way that is different from the recent past: favoring certain channels and altogether avoiding others. I am beginning to think that it’s this trend that is contributing to a lack of civility in political discourse and the resulting lack in bipartisanship.

What do you think?

In comparison to the online presence of the majority of government agencies, Energy has taken the best of Web 2.0 and successfully applied that philosophy to the way they present themselves to the public.  The end result is an open and intuitive web site that clearly and powerfully communicates DOE’s mission and the diverse range of vitally important energy projects the agency oversees. Additionally, the use of several social media platforms to connect and engage with DOE, and their urging of the public at large to actively participate, is what truly gives the site its Web 2.0 ethos.

Clear navigation, transparent headings for their sub-pages, plenty of white space and clearly defined information areas (via layout and design) all contribute to the openness and clarity of the site.

The prominent positioning of the blog entry on the Home page and the various social media pathways open to the public to engage with the Department of Energy, especially via Energy Secretary Steven Chu’s Facebook Page, as well as Twitter, You Tube and Flickr accounts, speaks to their willingness to connect with the American public.

Finally, the use of localization and segmentation tools via their “More From Energy” and “I Am” sections, gives any visitor the ability to quickly get to the information they want to access.

All in all, a fantastic site.

1. Unless you are a Hollywood or Television Producer (whose aim is to distribute their long-form content via Hulu or Netflix), short is best. Keep your videos to the 2-5 minute range as most consumers have little patience for anything longer than that. Our fast-paced culture promotes info-snacking and this is especially true of online video.
2. If you are producing videos to promote an idea or product or are fundraising for a social cause, include a call to action. The easiest call to action is one that will drive traffic to your website, so include a URL at the end of the video. And if you are distributing it via YouTube, Vimeo or any of the social networking sites, take the opportunity to include your site’s URL on the text box provided to describe your video.
3. If you are distributing your video via services such as YouTube and Vimeo, protect your intellectual property by including a bug that indicates where the video came from.
4. If you are thinking of using humor in hopes of creating a viral video hit and that its popularity will draw attention to your product, idea or cause, don’t do it on the cheap. Humor is difficult to do well and requires skill and real dollars to pull off. Most successful viral videos used for promotion have been created by large advertising agencies or their online subsidiaries. Additionally, although this is NOT written in stone, most edgy and humorous videos work well for edgy and humorous brands (such as the Axe effect series of videos promoting their line of men’s grooming products).
5. Include measurement in your campaign. The great thing about online video (actually, anything online) is that you can measure its effectiveness. If you are running any sort of campaign, you can keep track of how many people have viewed your videos and consequently, how many viewers visit your site after seeing the video. If things aren’t working as well as you’d hoped, you can always tweak your campaign until you get it right.
6. Contests work well to generate interest in your company, non-profit and government agency but if you ask people to create content on their own (videos about your mission, for example) you’ll have to be prepared to take the good with the bad (most video contests are run by publishing ALL of the videos created and then having your viewers vote on the best ones).
7. Tell a story about your idea, mission or product. Most people don’t want to be lectured or told what to think, they’d rather draw their own conclusions after watching your well-crafted and compelling video.
8. Be cognizant of who will be watching your videos. Obviously, you know who your target audience is and what you want them to do, so a runaway viral hit might not always be the answer…you may just get a lot of people watching your video but very little follow-up. And although by reading most articles you could be led to believe that only 18-24 year olds are interested in watching online video, the 25-54 age group is quickly catching up…especially if you let people share the video via social networking sites like Facebook.

Your ride ahead will be a lot smoother if you keep some of these do’s and don’ts in mind as you embark on the planning and execution of your online video campaign.

Top 5 Social Media Sites:

1. GovTwit — A huge undertaking, this site keeps track of all things government and Twitter.
2. GovLoop — This social media site has over 30,000 government and contracting community members and robust participation.
3. Oh My Gov! — A news site about all things gov that uses a great deal of social media and was recently named an official honoree of the 2010 Webby Awards.
4. WebContent.gov — Guidance on the use of social media in government.
5. Government and Social Media Wiki — Another site (this time a wiki) that provides guidance and robust discussion on government and social media.

Top 5 “Most Followed” on Twitter (from GovTwit):

1. Barack Obama
2. Al Gore
3. Arnold Schwarzenegger
4. The White House
5. NPR Politics

Top 5 “Most Active” on Twitter (from GovTwit):

1. 511 New York
2. Robert Brook
3. Chandra Observatory
4. ShawneePD
5. Nicholas Butler

Okay, so I don’t even know why I’m including this Google video on the list but I guess it’s because THEY included some video of the Chilean miners being rescued (and I’m Chilean American) and besides, it’s a cool video (so enjoy):

Jobs

• OPM has released a new iPad and iPhone app that will make getting a job with the federal government LESS of a job (or at least a bit more entertaining): OPM App

How To Do Web 2.0

• Usability.gov is a site that offers great advice on how to design a website for the end user, in other words, the audience that you’re trying to reach.  Of course, their advice could just as easily apply to a Web 1.0 world but their site really acts and feels like a Web 2.0 site, full of easy-to-grasp advice and techniques.  And the focus, as the name of the website so aptly implies, is to provide techniques on building a website aimed at the end user…not one whose aim is to satisfy the demands of the geeks in the IT department or the one-way conversation that ol’ gov was used to engaging in.  Bravo for that!  Of special note is their blog, which enjoys robust participation from all kinds of web folks working at various federal agencies.

How to Open Up

• We’ve given them big kudos via various of our social media channels already but another nod to a big step forward for Veterans Affairs is definitely worthwhile.  Their recently launched blog, VAntage Point, is worthy of special notice because they have a totally open comment policy AND are inviting guest bloggers to participate.  Their very first blog post has received 239 comments (so far…and counting) and most of them are pretty positive…although you do get some negative and sometimes quirky (I’m being polite) comments as well.  Hey, it’s all part and parcel of being OPEN and I commend the VA for being courageous enough to allow it to happen.  Like the Cluetrain Manifesto says, it’s a conversation, and sometimes it can get a little strained but as long as it’s real, it’s humanizing.

These are just a few of the many examples that can be found (far and wide) of the federal government adopting social media and a social media attitude.  Do you have any other examples you’d like to bring to our attention?

FotoWeek DC 2010 Festival: Nov 6 – Nov 13

Founded in 2008, FotoWeek DC has evolved from a city-centric photography festival to a multi-season tribute — with international appeal– to photography in all its forms.

FotoWeek DC celebrates the transformative power of photography through the exhibition of inspiring and provocative images, diverse programming, and collaboration with the local and international community.

Whether through photojournalism, fine art photography, or the work of emerging artists, FotoWeek DC provides a dynamic, evocative, engaging experience for photographers, cultural institutions, galleries, curators, schools, area residents and tens of thousands of visitors to the Nation’s Capital.

In just three short years, FotoWeek DC is Everywhere You See.

Find out more about this event here.

PodCampEDU 2 – Washington, DC : November 15

The PodCamp for educators and those interested in education and multimedia.

Find out more about this event here.

Meet the New Media: November 16

In 2010, the Washington region witnessed a rebirth in local media. We experienced a complete changing of the editorial guard at the region’s alternative weekly, a new business newspaper from the Washington Post and an entire new online local news enterprise from Albritton Publications.

Capitol Communicator invites you to Meet the New Media on November 16. Find out what the reporters and editors at the Washington City Paper, Capital Business, TBD, Washington Business Journal and Citybizlist DC Edition have to say about the future of media in Washington and the convergence of traditional news and social news media.

Find out more about this event here and RSVP if interested.

The Government Video Expo 2010: Nov 30 – Dec 2

If you are a video professional in the federal space or working with federal clients, you might want to attend the Government Video Expo.  Vendors will be present to tout the latest and greatest gear, seminars and presentations abound, and networking events will give you the opportunity to mingle with peers and potential clients alike.

Find out more about this event here.

1. Government Executive:  GovernmentExecutive.com is government’s business news daily and the premier Web site for federal managers and executives. Government Executive in its print incarnation is a biweekly business magazine serving senior executives and managers in the federal government’s departments and agencies. Our subscribers are high-ranking civilian and military officials who are responsible for defending the nation and carrying out the many laws that define the government’s role in our economy and society.  Government Executive’s essential editorial mission is to cover the business of the federal government and its huge departments and agencies – dozens of which dwarf the largest institutions in the private sector. We aspire to serve the people who manage these huge agencies and programs in much the way that Fortune, Forbes, and Business Week serve private-sector managers.
2. Washington Technology:  Washington Technology is the brand for government contractors, systems integrators, and solution providers. For more than a quarter century, government systems integrator and solution provider management has relied on Washington Technology’s coverage for the key issues facing contractors: government initiatives and their effect on spending priorities and RFPs, procurement regulatory changes, technology evaluation and analysis for proposal preparation, as well as merger & acquisition news, business trends, and arrivals and departures within the government integrator community.
3. Federal News Radio:  Federal News Radio covers both the Federal Government and those who do business with the government concentrating on management, procurement, technology, security, policy and pay & benefits. Federal News Radio features the talents of some of the best federal minds in the industry. Starting the day off it’s “The Federal Drive” weekday mornings with Tom Temin and Amy Morris. Then, tune in for “In-Depth with Francis Rose” middays Monday through Friday. Keeping you company on your afternoon commute is “The DorobekInsider” with Chris Dorobek. Add to that veteran reporters Jason Miller, Max Cacas and Mike Causey (the ONLY place to read and hear Mike Causey every day) and Federal News Radio is a one-stop, up-to-the-minute source of news and information. Federal News Radio’s mission is to untangle the complex world of the business of government and build a sense of federal community by looking at lessons learned, best practices and exploring and talking to the people themselves who make the government work. We interview policy makers and government contractors one-on-one to explain, in their own words, how their news affects federal agencies. FederalNewsRadio.com is your source for federal news…now.
4. Nextgov:  Nextgov.com provides news, interaction and research for government and contractor executives and managers in the information technology community. Our readers are high-ranking civilian and military officials who are responsible for providing IT support to those who defend the nation and carry out the many laws that define the government’s role in our economy and society. Nextgov.com’s essential editorial mission is to cover the IT and business processes that the federal government deploys to meet agency missions — dozens of which dwarf the largest institutions in the private sector. We aspire to serve the people who manage these huge agencies and programs in much the way that large consumer and business-to-business technology magazines serve private-sector managers.
5. Government Computer News (GCN):  GCN is the IT brand for federal and state and local government IT professionals who are directly involved with the acquisition and implementation of technology products, services and systems. A technology source for government, GCN focuses on how to buy, build and manage the technologies that run government. It covers how government agencies integrate, implement and manage technology; technology developments that impact IT programs, projects, purchasing and compliance issues; and the tools, products and solutions required to achieve agency missions. The popular GCN Labs put hardware, software and peripherals through the paces, providing expert analysis, laboratory tests, performance reviews and product briefs.
6. Federal Soup:  FederalSoup.com is a free online community of forums dedicated to serving the information needs of active and retired federal employees. FederalSoup.com provides users with a place to chat about news and current events. It also facilitates an environment for discussion and information exchange on the ins-and-outs of federal employee benefits, financial/retirement planning and career planning/development.
7. Government Video:  Our stories — and readers — reflect the diversity of the government video market, including state and local government, law enforcement, and federal agencies. Don’t worry, we’ve got the men and women in uniform, too. Only GV is dedicated to providing comprehensive coverage of video professionals in the public service each and every month. GV magazine is part of the same company that produces the annual Government Video & Technology Expo in Washington, DC. We also publish the GVExpo Daily News.
8. GovLoop:  GovLoop is the “Facebook for Government” – the premier social network connecting over 30,000 government innovators from federal, state, and local government. The community is a great resource for all people in and around government, whether they are looking to connect with peers, collaborate on projects or discover career-building opportunities. GovLoop is the place to be for today’s government leaders.
9. Young Government Leaders (YGL):  YGL is a professional organization of men and women employed by or for the government who are “young” in their service and/or “fresh” in their perspective. Our mission is to educate, inspire, and transform the current and future leaders of government. Our membership consists of over 1800 (and counting) young feds at almost 30% of the approximately 435 U.S. departments and agencies. Our organization is committed to serving as a coordinated voice for the current and future generations of young government leaders by providing a community of leadership through professional development activities, networking opportunities, social events, seminars, fellowships, and scholarships.
10. Federal Daily:  Over the past half-century we have published and sold more than six million copies of the Federal Employees Almanac to America’s civil servants, helping them navigate an increasingly complex maze of federal protocols, regulations and opportunities. The volume’s success continues to demand consistent, reliable news reporting to help federal workers understand government regulations, recognize their rights and obligations, keep abreast of the major and minor changes affecting their jobs and get all the benefits due them. Lately, quick change has been the order of the day for our country, for our government and for our federal work force. The writers and publishers of Federal Employees News Digest, the Federal Employees Almanac and FederalDaily.com strive to keep you, our customers, up to date and fully informed on the events and actions that matter to you. We are grateful to you, our readers, for your continued patronage. We welcome your suggestions on how we can continue to serve you better, how we can remain the premier source of federal news for federal workers. We thank you for your business and will continue to do all we can to merit the trust the federal employee puts in us and in our products.

There’s a lot more out there but these publications, web sites and forums are a good place to start.  Good luck!

I would definitely recommend reading it as it will give any newbie a good intro and will remind many experts of things they may have forgotten.

Hope you enjoy The Health Communicator’s Social Media Toolkit: “A guide to using social media to improve reach of health messages, increase access to your content, further participation with audiences and advance transparency to improve health communication efforts.”

This is truly government of the people, by the people, for the people.  Enjoy!!

Click here to go there…