Republican-American - Politicians Embrace Social Media to Connect with Constituents

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Have an issue?

Tweet your congressman.

Or your mayor.

Advances in social media technology are driving elected officials -- and their constituents -- to new ways of communicating with each other.

All but eight of the 435 members of Congress have a Facebook page, and all but 15 have a Twitter handle. As recently as 2009, only 38 percent of representatives in Congress were on a social media platform, according to the Congressional Research Service.

For U.S. Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty, D-5th District, checking her Facebook and Twitter feeds is a fundamental part of the job.

"I actively post to solicit feedback and opinions from folks about upcoming issues before Congress, highlight local events in central and northwest Connecticut, and pass along useful state and federal government resources," she said. "Social media . . . allows me to quickly engage and receive almost instantaneous feedback."

RECENTLY, A TEACHER FROM WATERBURY reached out to Esty on Facebook after hearing about the opportunity to order an American flag.

"She said she was working to clean up one of the schools and noticed an old, faded flag," Esty said. "I was able to immediately respond to her to let her know my office can help, and now a flag that was flown over the U.S. Capitol is flying over Hopeville Elementary School in Waterbury."

Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, said it's not just a good idea for elected officials to be on social media -- "it is essential."

"Part of their job is public service," he said. "Through social media, you can monitor a community and rapidly address concerns more efficiently. ... It's extraordinarily important for anyone engaged in public life to master and employ social media tools to engage their constituents or citizens."

He acknowledged there can be negatives, adding that technology is about trade-offs. For example, he said, some officials have to hire someone to do the work. And officials or their staffers can get caught up in spending too much time dealing with trivial complaints or issues.

Hanley agreed with most of the politicians, who said there are some people just looking to vent their anger or engage in an online battle with an elected official.

"The Internet is all about rage and that just has to flow over you like water on a duck's back," he said. "You can't engage in a Twitter war ... What works to neutralize rage is to respond with a witty retort because the mainstream media will pick up on that and it makes the politician look witty or smart."

The key to effective social media use, according to Mezzo, is to strike a balance between having social media serve as an effective medium or as a distraction.

"It's a great tool that has certainly changed government," he said. "It has changed the world, really. But I think there are certain boundaries needed with it. There are still times when a phone call or an in-person conversation or email is more appropriate and effective."

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