“New Media” Director For A U.S. Senator Has No Idea How Social Media Works
Tell me that I’m naïve, but it seems to me that part of the job description of a New Media Director would be to understand how the media operate, most notably social media, since what else could the term “new media” represent? Right? Apparently not, for Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s staff:
Whitehouse’s communications director, Seth Larson, deputy press secretary, Richard Pezzillo, and new media director (!), Catherine Algeri, have disclaimers in their Twitter profiles that declare their posts — on public, unprotected accounts — to be off the record. [techPresident]
I thought the whole point of a Twitter account for a politician is to keep connected with his/her constituents, to keep the public up to date with the many interesting goings on in a typical day, and to state his/her position on the various subjects that pass by his/her desk. In other words, to be on the record. Obviously, Ms Algeri doesn’t seem to understand how Twitter works – that once you tweet an item on a public account it’s really out there, unprotected, and as impossible to control as Charlie Sheen on a bender.
Off the record tweets? That’s like trying to slip a journalist information by printing it on the front page of the New York Times. She and the others have now removed the disclaimer. I’m hoping, for the senator’s sake, that he’s hired someone else to set up his Facebook account.
image: techPresident.com
