Rock Creek Roundup (June 24 Edition)

Posted by: Meagen Ryan, Director of Strategy Jun 23, 2011 0 Comments

The FBI uses social media to catch a legendary mobster, New York City releases its digital roadmap, new research sheds light on social media and politics, and GSA wants to help federal agencies develop mobile apps, all in this week’s version of the Rock Creek Roundup.

—Social media has its uses, and surprisingly one is helping the FBI catch a fugitive. On Monday, the FBI launched a campaign in 14 cities to help agents catch James “Whitey” Bulger through a television ad, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Two days later, Bulger, a mobster wanted for 19 murders, was arrested in California. The Bureau developed a TV ad focused on Bulger’s girlfriend Catherine Greig which aired during shows intended for women, posted on YouTube and Facebook, and mentioned on Twitter. In 2009, the FBI set up social media pages to reach the public while also harnessing its collective power to find and identify people on the run.

—With the goal of becoming the premier digital hub, New York City’s Chief Digital Officer Rachel Sterne has spent the last 3 months developing the Road Map for the Digital City. The report describes the city’s strategy, goals, and plans to become a digital hot spot. The Roadmap tackles four areas the city is looking to focus efforts: access, open government, engagement, and industry. Through the overhaul, Sterne wants to give greater access to all; unlock government resources to increase transparency; increase citizen, visitor, and city engagement; and incubate the city’s technology industry to support growth and innovation. The Roadmap is not a distant goal as some initiatives have already taken root such as city social media pages, affordable spaces for industry startups, and wireless Internet at parks.

—New research shows that if you’re on Facebook, you are more likely to vote, persuade someone to vote, or attend a political rally. According to the Pew Internet Research Group’s new study “Internet and American Life Project,” users of social media – particularly Facebook – tend to be more politically active citizens. The study suggests that members of the online community are often more engaged citizens who are drawn to social networking. With the upcoming election, increased government participation on social media will also likely affect the way the people are interacting with political figures and each other.

—With 8 out of 10 Americans being mobile phone users, the General Services Administration has launched an initiative to help federal agencies meet citizen expectations through mobile technology. GSA’s program Making Gov Mobile will kick-off with a wiki that helps agencies develop mobile strategies while fostering inter-agency collaboration. By making their case for mobile gov, GSA hopes to encourage agencies to consider, discuss, and, ultimately, develop mobile applications to promote open government and agency transparency. With agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department already leading the way, others are sure to join in developing programs that give users mobile access to their resources, services, and data.

Meagen Ryan

Director of Strategy

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