Does tech = engagement?
Denise Gass at Trumpet tipped us off on an iPhone app that allows you to livestream the State of the Union. You can even submit a question to the Pres. and vote on others at YouTube.com/CitizenTube . As cool as this is, in the attention squeeze of Tiger’s infidelity, American Idol, and, here in New Orleans, the obsession with all things Saints/Super Bowl (ironically, we’re approaching the finish line of a mayor’s race), does access and transparency contribute to better citizenship and engagement? Is it true transparency or crafted propaganda? Bottom line — we have pretty good tools, but will we use them? At NakedPizza, we spend a lot of time working through this as our business model is entirely based on a sense of advocacy around the food supply, policy, fast food, and health. And candidly, we are frequently torn about how much is too much. I mean we understand that first we have to offer you a good pizza, but man, there’s so much we want to talk to you about. So much. For now, we’re listening because we not so dense as to not grasp that it’s about what BOTH of us want to talk about. Interesting. Find out more about the State of the Union iPhone app: (Read about it on the White House blog: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/01/25/state-union-20)
Thoughtful blog. I like it. Listening is good too. Glad you are asking yourself the question. As long as you check in honestly with yourself about your writings and it is your truth as you know it, and be clean about not manipulating, then go with it. Man, speak your core inner belief without hidden strategy or agenda.
Access and transparency do not contribute to better citizenship of your country or the world. But action does. And I’m not talking about the action of twittering. Constant twittering of the mundane or self-aggrandizing contributes to having tapioca for a brain. As a student of the art of mass communication, there is tremendous value in communication but only when it drives action. Hopefully that is action that drives a positive change for yourself or others.