social media

COVID-19 has forced all of us to significantly alter the way we live. It has required us to find new ways of collaborating, communicating, and cooperating with each other. Alongside the rest of the country, Congress is caught up in these changes as well. Every Senator and Representative has had to find new ways of connecting with constituents to convey federal, state, and local resources; frame the work of Congress to confront COVID's challenges; and advocate for certain behavioral changes.

As the volume of incoming constituent communications rises exponentially across Capitol Hill, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has pulled together information that might help your office deal with the deluge.

Please read on for our advice – whether for phone, email, social media, or your website.

"Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage." That statement by Internet entrepreneur Amy Jo Martin has profound implications in a democracy. Prior to the introduction of the Internet, the process of engaging elected officials was viewed as cumbersome and intimidating, perhaps only available to wealthy campaign donors. New research by the Congressional Management Foundation suggests that social media, "the ultimate equalizer," perhaps has the potential to influence that dynamic even more.

In April 2014, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) released the Gold Mouse Awards (and accompanying best practices report) for the 113th Congress. For the first time, 17 Members were recognized for their efforts in using social media to further transparency, accountability, and constituent service. This video discusses what CMF focused on in our analysis of social media practices, the characteristics exhibited by the winners of the Gold Mouse Awards for Social Media, and the strategic questions congressional offices should ask before engaging in social media efforts.

Today CMF hosted a briefing for congressional staff on how to improve online communications with constituents, based on what we saw in our recent reviews of congressional websites and social media. The program also paid special attention on learning from the policies and practices of Gold Mouse Award-winning staffers.

In this month's Roll Call commentary, Brad Fitch and Kathy Goldschmidt identify some of the outstanding practices that received CMF's first-ever Gold Mouse Awards for Social Media. They also discuss why Members of Congress need to adjust their one-sided approach to social media, and instead use these tools to be more accountable and transparent to citizens.