New US President Barack Obama is already acknowledged as the most tech-savvy occupant of the White House and even as he was giving his inauguration speech, he was already making good on his promise to keep the online connection that won him so much support in the campaign.
The official White House site has been transformed and acccording to Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House, “WhiteHouse.gov will be a central part of President Obama’s pledge to make his the most transparent and accountable administration in American history”.
He said the White House’s initial new media efforts had three priorities:
Communication — Americans are eager for
information about the state of the economy, national security and a
host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth
content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the
briefing room, keep tabs on
the blog (
RSS feed) and take a moment to
sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.
Transparency — President Obama has committed to
making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and
WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise.
The President’s executive orders and proclamations will be published
for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to
provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government.
You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new
administration and about the President’s policy priorities.
Participation — President Obama started his
career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he
saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common
cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration,
and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant
addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the
President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website
for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the
President signs it.
A bold promise. It will be interesting to see how that works when the going gets tough.
Breezeblog 