Government Seeks to Correct Awkward Social Media Skills

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Publication: The Economic Times Mumbai; Date:2011 Sep 08; Section:Technology; Page Number: 4

Government Seeks to Correct Awkward Social Media Skills

Centre codifying rules on how to embrace the new ways in which society communicates
HARSIMRAN JULKA NEW DELHI

What government struggles to achieve in the real worldtransparency and collaborationit plans to do in the virtual one with the help of social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. It has taken a first step in this direction by trying to codify the rules of engagement for government users of social media, a measure it hopes will induce a wholehearted embrace of the new way in which society communicates with itself. The draft guidelines (available on www.mit.gov.in), which after debate will be finalised in the form of rules by the year-end, specify the governments social media aims and represent an attempt by the government to regain some degree of control over the public narrative. n the absence of directions and rules, we have seen that most government officials are scared and unable to use social media as a tool for governance, said Shankar Aggarwal, the joint secretary for egovernance who is at the vanguard of the governments move towards a new openness. n the traditional media such as TV or print, it is a monologue. But the government wants to start a dialogue with the citizens by opening a social, two-way channel, he added. The guidelines suggest that government agencies should get to grips with social media through pilot projects which help them understand the needs of citizens who will communicate through such sites. Postings on Facebook pages, it recommends, should be made at least twice a week and slightly more frequently on Twitter. Officials designated to engage with citizens using social media, it says, should get immunity, in line with the right to information and information technology laws. To institutionalise social media interaction, the government wants to make policy announcements simultaneously on traditional as well social media, post all documents seeking public opinion on social media sites and publicise its social media presence in traditional communication. Its a very forward-looking move. The regular ways of citizen participation dont work if about 1.2 billion people want to participate in governance, said Jaijit Bhattacharya, corporate affairs director at HP India. Although some politicians are regular users of Twitter and a few government agencies use social media creatively, the government as a whole is hamstrung when it comes to this new method of communication. This deficiency was in view most recently during the anticorruption protests led by social activist Anna Hazare, whose followers mobilized and communicated using sites such as Facebook and Twitter. A senior government official said a trigger for the guidelines was the realisation by government of its helplessness during the 12-day fast by Hazare. Whereas protestors were using social media successfully to achieve their aims, the government was struggling to get its message across. There are government agencies such as the police forces in Delhi, Indore and Meerut which use Facebook creatively to track crimes and keep citizens informed . The ministry of external affairs has come in for praise for using Twitter as a tool for public diplomacy. But such examples are few and far between. Young politicians want to stick with Twitter, despite controversies. A rulebook will only help. Prime example is J&K CM Omar Abdullah, who was back to tweeting after a controversial tweet about clemency for Afzal Guru kicked up a row. "Just in case anyone is under the mistaken impression that I've been bullied off Twitter - sorry but here I am & I'm not going anywhere :-)" Abdullah tweeted. A rulebook will surely help young policicians and babus, and help them skirt controversies.

Tackling Social Media

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1/30/2012

Government Seeks to Correct Awkward Social Media Skills

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GOVTS SOCIAL MEDIA AIMS Seek feedback from citizens. Re-state existing public policies Interact on specific and generic subjects. Build government brand Generating awareness on national plans DOS & DONTS Facebook Wall to be updated at least a couple of times a week, Twitter more often. None of the sites should be left more than a week without new content Don't get personal, not necessary to respond to every wall post, tweet A dedicated team to monitor content 24x7 on social sites Do not comment on matters sub-judice, draft bills. No unverified facts to be published as posts, tweets Social sites to be used to propagate only official policy. Be open to comments whether positive or negative

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