Just before Barack Obama took the oath of office, a new incarnation of the White House website went live. We’ve talked on previous shows about Obama’s status as our “most wired” president yet– the depth and variety of media available through this new website and the various feeds that it offers demonstrates that the Obama administration will do its best to deceminate information the same way the Obama campaign did. By directly interacting with constituents, they have the opportunity to circumvent the filter of the news media while simultaneously appearing to be more direct and transparent than any previous administration.
It’s a shrewd and potentially brilliant tactic. It will be interesting to observe the public’s reaction to the “White House news network” over time. Undoubtedly, the vast network that Obama’s campaign created over the previous 12+ months will help kick start interest in the new website, but will that interest last?