At the request of vermontpressconnections, Bianca Slota submitted the following explanation of how, as press secretary for Governor Peter Shumlin, she is using social media and video. As a former WCAX reporter, we new she knew video; but she's obviously up on Twitter, etc. too.
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In the increasingly diverse and fast-paced world of online communication one thing is certain: you either learn how to use it or you get left behind. Here in the Office of Governor Peter Shumlin we are embracing this new media world and using it to make sure no one gets left behind.
While my official title is Press Secretary, I see myself as more of a social media director. Or maybe new media director. I help Governor Shumlin maintain a presence on Twitter (@VTGovernor), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vermont-Governor/155136287867671), YouTube (www.youtube.com/VTGovernor), and in the blogosphere on the governor’s official web site: www.governor.vermont.gov.
One of our communications priorities coming into office was using video to keep the Governor in contact with Vermonters and vice versa. I am quite proud of what we have done. The most exciting development is our Ask the Governor feature on the governor’s official web site. We invite people to submit their questions to Governor Shumlin through a standard web form. About once a week we go through the questions and select a few that the governor can answer through a brief video response. Submissions range from questions about our single-payer healthcare reform effort, to questions about tax policy, and sometimes questions about personal experiences with a particular department of government. Our selection process is pretty simple – we try to pick out questions that can be easily answered in a few minutes and that might be of interest to the state as a whole, or to a particular group of people. The governor generally answers two or three questions at once, and I edit together the clip before posting it to YouTube and to our site.
I think Ask the Governor is a fantastic way for Vermonters to be in touch with their Chief Executive. While we do not have time to respond to all the questions through video, every question does get answered by the Governor’s Information and Referral Office.
In addition to the Ask the Governor section, we have a video page that includes all the footage from Governor Shumlin’s weekly press conferences. Sometimes we post a video with the governor’s thoughts on a particular subject, like this one that we taped the day after a fundraiser for Pete’s Greens: http://governor.vermont.gov/video-petes-greens-fundraiser. In the near future you will also be able to watch videos about some of the governor’s priorities or a video about what some of our agencies and departments are up to.
We also have a great online photo gallery filled with hundreds of pictures. You can check out the places Governor Shumlin has visited, the people he has met, and see what the great companies and people in this state are up to. Who knows, you might even see yourself or someone you know in one of photos.
What all of this boils down to is access. Vermont has always been a place where ordinary citizens can reach their elected officials with ease. As online communication becomes a bigger part of the way you communicate with the world, we want to make sure it is a bigger and easier part of the way you communicate with us and how we communicate with you.
-Bianca Slota
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