Web 2.0 and the White House

The Washington Post reported on the Obama Administration's new outreach approach using new Internet tools - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/01/AR2009050102826.html. It reports, "Establishing direct strategic presidential communication with the populations of other countries -- especially other countries ruled by hostile governments -- is a top foreign policy priority for the new administration." Macon Phillips works with Obama's National Security Council staff to turn new communications channels into important tools for winning friends and understanding abroad. He states, "We try to find the audiences where they are, and deliver the president's message to them at the best delivery point."

The objective of the administration is to reach out to global audiences through "unfiltered" communication. Obama's March 20 Navroz message directed to the Iranian people is a case in point. It has drawn over 500,000 viewers and Iranian viewers have downloaded the video, remixed it with their own comments and put it back on the Web, a sign of "engaging with the message." For someone like Obama who successfully employed the innovative use of Facebook and other online social networks, YouTube videos, and fundraising on the Internet in the 2008 presidential campaign, Web 2.0 should be a confident next step.