FACING THE FUTURE: LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ADAPT TO SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

by James K. Scott, Ph.D. Truman School of Public AffairsUniversity of Missouri.

"…the explosion of available information and interconnectivity through social media is changing profoundly and very quickly how we communicate with each other and with business and government…The greater question is whether these amazing new tools can also help make us more trustworthy in our messaging and in the end re-animate our free press and our free enterprise even as it helps reinvent those endeavors.” (Joan Walker, as quoted in Smith, 2012)

In twenty-five years since its inception, the World Wide Web has radically changed how people work, shop, play, and connect with others all over the world.  As Internet use grows and evolves, governments are challenged to use the web to serve their constituents with more transparency, efficiency and effectiveness.  These challenges are most acute – and perhaps most important – at the local level, where citizens often have special commitment to and knowledge of (the) place, as well as social networks that can be mobilized around public decisions.  At the same time, local governments operate with limited technical capacity and serious resource constraints. How can local governments use Internet technologies to improve public outcomes and enhance communication?