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GOVERNING AS SOCIAL NETWORKING Lee Rainie – Director Pew Internet Project IRMCO – Cambridge, Maryland April 22, 2009

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New information ecosystem: Then and Now Industrial Age Info was: Scarce Expensive Institutionally oriented Designed for consumption Information Age Info is: Abundant Cheap Personally oriented Designed for participation

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2000 46% of adults use internet 5% with broadband at home 50% own a cell phone <5% are content creators 0% connect wirelessly <10% use “cloud” = slow, stationary connections built around my computer, simple chat and information exchange The internet is the asteroid: Then and now 2008 75% of adults use internet 57% with broadband at home 82% own a cell phone ~40% are content creators 62% connect wirelessly >53% use “cloud” = fast, mobile connections built around outside servers and storage and social / civic engagement

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<ul><li>Personal ecosystem changes </li></ul>

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Media ecology – then <ul><li>Product Route to home Display Local storage </li></ul><ul><li>TV stations phone TV Cassette/ 8-track </li></ul><ul><li> broadcast TV radio </li></ul><ul><li> broadcast radio stereo Vinyl album </li></ul><ul><li>News mail </li></ul><ul><li>Advertising newspaper delivery phone </li></ul><ul><li> paper </li></ul><ul><li>Radio Stations non-electronic </li></ul>Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

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Media ecology – now <ul><li>Product Route to home Display Local storage </li></ul><ul><li> cable TiVo (PVR) VCR </li></ul><ul><li>TV stations DSL TV </li></ul><ul><li>Info wireless/phone radio DVD </li></ul><ul><li>“ Daily me” broadcast TV PC Web-based storage </li></ul><ul><li>content iPod /MP3 server/ TiVo (PVR) </li></ul><ul><li>Cable Nets broadcast radio stereo PC </li></ul><ul><li>Web sites satellite monitor web storage </li></ul><ul><li>Local news mail headphones CD/CD-ROM </li></ul><ul><li>Content from express delivery pager </li></ul><ul><li>individuals iPod / storage portable gamer MP3 player / iPod </li></ul><ul><li>Peer-to-peer subcarriers / WIFI cell phone pagers - PDAs </li></ul><ul><li>Advertising newspaper delivery phone cable box </li></ul><ul><li>Radio stations camcorder/camera PDA/Palm game console </li></ul><ul><li>game console paper </li></ul><ul><li>Satellite radio non-electronic storage sticks/disks </li></ul>Adapted from Tom Wolzien, Sanford C. Bernstein & Co

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Personal ecosystem changes <ul><li>Volume of information grows </li></ul><ul><li>Variety of information increases </li></ul><ul><li>Velocity of information speeds up </li></ul><ul><li>The times and places to experience media enlarge </li></ul><ul><li>People’s vigilance for information expands AND contracts </li></ul>

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Personal ecosystem changes <ul><li>The immersive qualities of media are more compelling </li></ul><ul><li>Relevance of information improves </li></ul><ul><li>The number of information “voices” explodes – and becomes more findable </li></ul><ul><li>Voting and ventilating are enabled </li></ul><ul><li>Social networks are more vivid </li></ul>

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A different personal ecosystem and a different sense of … <ul><li>Expectation about access to information and people </li></ul><ul><li>Persistence of the “digital me” and “digital you” </li></ul><ul><li>Place … and time … and presence with others </li></ul><ul><li>Possibilities of conversation and community -- scalability </li></ul><ul><li>Personal efficacy </li></ul><ul><li>Boundaries and contexts – public and private </li></ul><ul><li>Social networking possibilities – new layers, new audiences </li></ul>

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<ul><li>News ecosystem changes </li></ul>

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113 million 64 million

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The internet and political news/information % who use the internet to get info about the campaign

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Percent of adults

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People-Press news consumer typology

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<ul><li>Political ecosystem changes </li></ul>

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<ul><li>35% of adults have watched politically related video </li></ul><ul><li>--- </li></ul><ul><li>Up from 13% in 2004 </li></ul>Other activities

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<ul><li>14% of adults have used social network sites for political news and information </li></ul>Other activities

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<ul><li>The process of citizen decision-making and problem-solving changes </li></ul>

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Background of research <ul><li>Institute for Museum and Library Services grant </li></ul><ul><li>UIC partnership </li></ul><ul><li>Government Printing Office query </li></ul><ul><li>http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/231/report_display.asp </li></ul>

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Basic question <ul><li>How do people get information to help them solve problems that could have a government connection or be aided by government resources? </li></ul>

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23 Needed information about Medicare / Medicaid / food stamps 25 Changed jobs , retired, or started your own business 34 Needed information about property taxes or income taxes 39 Made a decision about schooling , paying for education, or getting training for yourself or for a child 45% Dealt with a serious illness or other health condition, either yourself or someone close to you Yes Problem – 1 (… in the past two years)

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5 Became a citizen / helped someone with immigration 10 Involved in a criminal matter, a lawsuit, or other legal action 15 Look for help from local government with a problem like traffic or schools 19 Wanted information about voter registration or a government action, program, or policy 20% Needed information about Social Security / military benefits Yes Problem – 2 (… in the past two years)

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<ul><li>79.5% had experienced at least one problem </li></ul><ul><li>= </li></ul><ul><li>Approx. 169 million adults and that is the target population for this research </li></ul>

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What sources did you use for most recent problem? <ul><li>58% of those who had recently experienced one of those problems said they used the internet to get help (not including secondary internet users) </li></ul><ul><li>53% said they turned to professionals such as doctors, lawyers or financial experts </li></ul><ul><li>45% turned to friends and family members </li></ul>

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What sources did you use …? (2) <ul><li>36% consulted newspapers, magazines, books </li></ul><ul><li>34% directly contacted a government office or agency </li></ul><ul><li>16% consult television and radio </li></ul><ul><li>13% went to the public library </li></ul><ul><li>11% used another source not mentioned in survey </li></ul>

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Who turns to government agencies for problem solving? <ul><li>40-somethings = 40% </li></ul><ul><li>College grads = 37% </li></ul><ul><li>Internet users = 35% </li></ul><ul><li>No gender or racial/ethnic variance </li></ul><ul><li>No income variance </li></ul>

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Problem 7% 11% 10% 10% 20% 10% Library 14% 14% 14% 21% 15% 16% TV or Radio 71% 27% 60% 56% 27% 15% Government Agency 27% 43% 33% 32% 38% 37% Print sources 31% 58% 28% 26% 50% 51% Family or Friends 38% 27% 43% 48% 40% 83% Professionals 41% 66% 45% 60% 77% 46% Internet Social Security Change job status Medicare/ Medicaid Taxes Education Health Source of info.

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Search success in problem solving NA 55% TV and radio NA 56% Family and friends NA 57% Newspapers, mags, books NA 61% Professionals / experts 55% 63% Internet 36% 64% Public library 49% 65% Government agency A lot of information Very Successful

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Average searcher/decider <ul><li>Used 2-3 sources of information – not an either/or world </li></ul><ul><li>Relied on an “outside” human being somewhere in the process to find or assess information – so humans were filters and assessors of information </li></ul><ul><li>Did not “self diagnose” and “self medicate” – relied on an expert sources before making the final decision </li></ul>

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<ul><li>There is a new pattern of communication, influence, and support in a world of networked individuals </li></ul>

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The two-step flow of communication has become a four-step “cycle” <ul><li>Attention </li></ul><ul><li>Acquisition </li></ul><ul><li>Assessment </li></ul><ul><li>Action </li></ul>

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How do you…. <ul><li>get a citizen’s attention? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>leverage your traditional platforms </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>be a “news node” - offer alerts, updates, feeds </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>be available in relevant places on his/her terms, not just yours </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>find pathways through his/her social network </li></ul></ul>

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How do you…. <ul><li>help a citizen acquire information? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>be findable in a search-driven, “long tail” world </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>pursue new distribution methods </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>figure out your role in the “link economy” </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>participate in the conversation about your work </li></ul></ul>

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How do you…. <ul><li>help a citizen assess information? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>be transparent </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>be an archivist </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>when you make mistakes, seek forgiveness </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>decide if you can be a trusted aggregator </li></ul></ul>

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How do you…. <ul><li>assist a citizen act on information? </li></ul><ul><ul><li>offer opportunities for feedback </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>offer opportunities for remixing </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>offer opportunities for community building </li></ul></ul><ul><ul><li>be open to the wisdom of crowds </li></ul></ul>

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How are we doing in the Twittersphere? http:// search.twitter.com/search?q =%23irmco “ What are the metrics for citizen engagement beyond levels and diversity of participation?” Usability and navigation Feedback Buzz and participation Aid in social networking Aid in problem solving Trust

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Thank you! <ul><li>Lee Rainie </li></ul><ul><li>Director </li></ul><ul><li>Pew Internet & American Life Project </li></ul><ul><li>1615 L Street NW </li></ul><ul><li>Suite 700 </li></ul><ul><li>Washington, DC 20036 </li></ul><ul><li>[email_address] </li></ul><ul><li>202-419-4500 </li></ul>