1.
Social Media
in Public Life
Steven Clift,
E-Democracy.Org
e-democracy.org

2.
1. Introduction
2. Online Civic Engagement
101 – “e-democracy”
3. Social Media in Public Life
Examples
4. Issues Forums and
Participation 3.0
e-democracy.org

3.
Introduction
• Steven Clift or • International
– stevenclift.com e-democracy
consultant, speeches
– @democracy on
across 26 countries,
Twitter
advised the UN,
OECD, etc.
• Founder,
E-Democracy.Org in
1994 – volunteer until • Ashoka Fellowship
today supported 3 year full-
time focus on
E-Democracy.Org
• Executive Director
today
e-democracy.org

4.
One morning I awoke to hear …
• It all started in 1994 …
– Minnesota E-Democracy, the world’s first
election information website
– Post-election “Issues Forum” continued – our
role “discovered”: a trusted, neutral host of
civil, agenda-setting online dialogue among
people with differing perspectives and
backgrounds
• Government by day, citizen by night …
e-democracy.org

5.
A new Athens for Democracy?
e-democracy.org

6.
The Big Problem
e-democracy.org

7.
The Big Problem
• Social media/networking is
“publicizing” private life not building
public life in our communities
• National politics
online is stuck in
divided partisan
echo chambers
Source:
The Political Blogosphere and the 2004 U.S. Election: Divided They Blog
By Lada Adamic and Natalie Glance
e-democracy.org

8.
Big Local Problem:
Online News Comments
• Anonymous/Behind Aliases
- Mainstream Media Adopting Poor, Divisive Model
• Negative, Vitriolic, Worst in
Us Flame Fest
• Poisoning the pool for local use of the
Internet for community engagement
• Media now undermining their democratic
mission in community
e-democracy.org

9.
ONLINE CIVIC
ENGAGEMENT 101
e-democracy.org

10.
Defining e-democracy
• E-democracy is:
– the use information and
communication Political
technologies and Groups
strategies
– by “democratic
sectors” E-Citizens Non-Profit
Government
– within the political Civic
processes of local Groups
communities, states,
nations and on the global Media and
stage. Commercial
- E-Democracy.Org Content
promotes active citizen
participation by taking the
“e-citizen” perspective
e-democracy.org

11.
Government Sampler
• Some Quick Examples Next
• For detailed government, media,
advocacy, “democracy sector”
examples see:
– Great Expectations: After the vote – citizens
online, e-democracy in governance, and White
House 2.0 – Slides and audio:
http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/132
– How the Internet Can Support Government
Transparency and Citizen Engagement Presentation:
http://stevenclift.com/?p=232
e-democracy.org

12.
Organize Supporters – Gather E-mail
e-democracy.org

13.
Government Transparency
State list
maintained by
Center for
Fiscal
Accountability
e-democracy.org

14.
Government E-Alerts
e-democracy.org

15.
E-Petitions Hosted by Gov in UK
7+ percent of British population have signed an e-petition
• UK Prime Minister’s E-Petitions
– http://petitions.number10.gov.uk
• Kingston upon Thames
– http://www.kingston.gov.uk/information/your_council/epetitions.htm
e-democracy.org 15

16.
Democracy/Consultation Portal
• Queensland’s democracy portal, policy - AU
– http://www.getinvolved.qld.gov.au
• Ask Bristol Consultation and Webcasting - UK 16
– http://www.askbristol.com
e-democracy.org

17.
Reusing Local Gov/Other Data
• Everyblock.com
– http://everyblock.com
e-democracy.org

18.
Read
• Sidewalks for Democracy Online, in
Rebooting America book
• Ten Practical Steps for Government Support of
commissioned by General Services
Administration
• See “Articles” section at:
– http://stevenclift.com
e-democracy.org

19.
SOCIAL MEDIA IN
(LOCAL) PUBLIC LIFE
e-democracy.org

20.
Citizen Media
• Use of online tools by the public to express
themselves, share news, etc.
• As individuals, as hosted by “media,” or via
new associations
• “Local voices” – Our interest is in
local/geographic uses by local people for
local people – rural communities,
neighborhoods
• Output: News, information, expression
e-democracy.org

21.
Online Engagement
• Highly interactive use of social media in
public life NOT just private life
• Citizen-to-citizen, government/institution
input from public or under hosts auspice
• Not well explored
• Output: Participation, informed
public, expression, better decisions,
public problem-solving, community
building
e-democracy.org

22.
Minnesota Voices Online
• Online community of practice leading
up to in-person “unconference”
– http://e-democracy.org/unconf
– Aggressive online outreach
– Use of e-list/forum pre/post-event
– Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, UStream,
Blogs, etc. during event, on-demand
e-democracy.org

23.
Facebook and Twitter Myths?
• Should Facebook and Twitter get all the
attention?
– Daily American Facebook Users (all ages) – 30 million
– Daily American E-mail Users (just adults) - 130.5 million
• That’s 60% of adult Internet users checking e-mail on
typical day, within 30% staying offline so only 10% who go
online don’t check their e-mail that day)
Sources: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
E-mail users: Pew Internet and American Life Surveys – http://pewinternet.org
Twitter:
http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/06/new_twitter_research_men_follo.html
e-democracy.org

24.
17 Examples,
17 Seconds Each
e-democracy.org

25.
Local Twittering
• Find Tweets by Place via Advanced Search
– http://search.twitter.com/advanced
• Minnesota Recount #mnrecount “channel”
http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23mnrecount
• Also note media use of: http://www.coveritlive.com
e-democracy.org

26.
Placeblog
• Pelican Rapids Minnesota 56572 Blog
– http://www.56572.blogspot.com
e-democracy.org

27.
Placeblog + Journalism
• LocallyGrownNorthield
– http://www.locallygrownnorthfield.org
e-democracy.org

28.
Community News Aggregator +
• Twin Cities
Daily Planet
– http://
www.tcdailyplanet.org
e-democracy.org

29.
Local Photo Sharing Communities
• Winona Place/Group
– http://www.flickr.com/places/United+States/Minnesota/Winona
• Minnesota Road Side Marvels
– http://www.flickr.com/groups/mn-roadside-attractions
e-democracy.org

30.
Looking Good on Wikipedia
th
Du l u
y v.
e Cit
n
v. Pi
kley
Hinc
• Small town Pine City, Minnesota does it
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_City,_Minnesota
e-democracy.org

31.
Community Wiki
• Kickapoo Valley, WI – Kickapedia
http://kickapedia.wiki.zoho.com/Kickapedia-Home.html
• Citizens Guide to St. Paul
e-democracy.org
http://pages.e-democracy.org/Citizens_Guide_to_St._Pa

32.
Statewide Videosharing Contest
• Belll
Museum’s
Minnesota
Minute.Org
– http://
minnesotaminute.org
e-democracy.org

33.
Maps, Camera, Mobile, Action
• FixMyStreet.com (UK) – mySociety.Org
– http://fixmystreet.com
e-democracy.org

34.
Local Facebook Groups (Ghost Towns)
• Private social networking goes public in Duluth
– http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=96177195640
• Living the Ojibwe language
• http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6746062152
• Politicians/organizations gravitating to top-down elite “Fan” pages
over groups and other more democratic two-ways models online
e-democracy.org

35.
Participation Inequality
• Most User Generated Websites Suffer from Participation Inequality
– See http://www.90-9-1.com
– 2-3% of YouTube users actually upload video, but with huge base amount of
video is staggering
• http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/01/30/youtubes-chad-hurley-we-have-the-largest-library-of-hd-video-on-the-internet/
– Twitter’s “public” approach attracts the extroverted with 10% of users
generating 90% of posts with the median number of tweets for all those who
set up accounts only 1
• http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/cs/2009/06/new_twitter_research_men_follo.html
– Facebook’s “gated community” with interactivity among friends in private life
seems to breakthrough with user contributions – with 15% updating their
status to friends daily
– Consideration: Demographics of those using various sites – civic projects needs
as inclusive a base as possible – see danah boyd’s talk on “The Not-So-Hidden
Politics of Class Online”
• http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2009/06/30/pdf_talk_the_no.html
• Note for later … E-Democracy.Org’s Standish Ericsson neighborhood Issues Forum had
26% participation rate among registered participants posting at least once in May
2009
– Ability to push reply in e-mail and write only required skill
– http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-staneric/stats.html
e-democracy.org

36.
Local Online Groups
• Minnesota Homestead
– http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MMHomesteading
• GroupsNearYou.com – UK-based
– http://www.groupsnearyou.com
• Standish Ericsson Neighbors Forum
– http://e-democracy.org/se
e-democracy.org

37.
Change.Gov and Online Engagement
• Change.Gov Highly Interactive, Next?
– http://change.gov
• Online Consultation Community of Practice
– http://groups.dowire.org/groups/consult
e-democracy.org

38.
White House Open Government
• WhiteHouse.Gov/Open
• Major breakthrough –
Round 2 allowed public
blog comments on U.S.
GOVERNMENT website.
Used comment
community ratings to
build decorum instead
of government
censorship.
• If the Feds can do this,
what pressure does it
put on the levels of
government “closer to
the people” to catch-up
with real interactivity?
e-democracy.org

39.
Schools and Online Engagement
• Moundsview Public Schools
– http://www.moundsviewschools.org
e-democracy.org 39

40.
Schools and Online Engagement
Mixed anonymous online
survey using
SurveyMonkey with
length limited, real signed
and moderated open
public comment feature
similar to a public hearing/
roundtable discussion.
40
e-democracy.org

41.
Community Builders NSW - Australia
• Extremely Rare,
Long-time Example
• Public collaboration
hosted by
government
convening those
working meet
similar public
challenges.
• Past articles on
“public net-work”
for OECD:
http://stevenclift.com/?p=101
e-democracy.org

42.
Live Rural Villages Town
Meeting, India –
e-democracy.org

43.
Sometimes Fun
e-democracy.org

44.
ISSUES FORUMS AND
PARTICIPATION 3.0
e-democracy.org

45.
What is your objective?
• Too often tools are used for tools
sake.
• Most e-participation projects fail to
meet goals or last more than a few
months.
e-democracy.org

46.
• Blog
Connect the Word
• Forum
• Online News/Blog
Comments
• Chat
• Social Network
• Online
Consultation
• Online Working
Group
• Web Feed
e-democracy.org

47.
What’s Your Model
Vs.
e-democracy.org

48.
What’s Your Model
Vs.
e-democracy.org

49.
What’s Your Model
Vs.
Vs.
e-democracy.org

50.
Issues Forums
E-Democracy.Org’s lessons from the field
leading to a “Participation 3.0” opportunity
Extended webinar and guidebook from:
http://e-democracy.org/if
e-democracy.org

51.
The Problem
• Lack of Participation in Local
Democracy
– Time
– Trust and accountability
– Loss of civility
– Sense your voice won’t be heard
e-democracy.org

52.
The Problem
• Need to Make Participation More
Effective
– Timely access to information and
opinions when it matters
– Openness and inclusion
– Building social capital
– Need more deliberative opportunities
– People need to experience lasting power
and influence
e-democracy.org

53.
We Are Building
• Any time, anywhere democracy
• Two-way online town hall meeting
– NOT typical male-dominated political
blogs (Hyde Park) or reactionary
anonymous news comments
• Low-cost, volunteer-based, network
of service club like local democracy
committees – 15+ communities
e-democracy.org

54.
Private Spaces with “Public”
Qualities – v. Online Public Spaces
e-democracy.org

55.
Need Public Spaces – Online
Versions of Town Halls, Capitols
• Online public spaces,
not just “public”
commercial spaces
• Need for decorum,
civility, agenda-
setting, relevance,
accountability
<- The Minnesota
Capitol Rotunda
e-democracy.org

56.
Blogofest Destiny?
• Blogs democratize
media, provide
accountability
•Are highly
individualistic often
privately controlled
spaces with rare
dialogue
• Now Twitter, Facebook
hypewaves obscure
common sense,
accessible approaches
e-democracy.org

57.
Local Issues Forums
• The online town hall
– City-wide, neighborhoods as well
– Where is local power? – We place an
online public space in the center
– “Government websites don’t have
sidewalks.” (Or public hearings online.)
– Need for independent online spaces for
media accountability
– Locally “owned” by civic-inspired citizen
committee as part of E-Democracy.Org
e-democracy.org

58.
How Issues Forums Work
Researcher
Position forum
Ma
#1
yor
Citizen
in center of r
rte
St
real power
ud
p o
Re
en
t
n #2
Citize
C
i Issues Forum
Personal t GroupServer Candidate
Networks i e-mails posts
z Post via e-mail/web
web view Polit
e ical A
ctivis
n t
s
0
50
Ne
Ci
n#
ty
igh
e
e-publish,
tiz
C
Forum Manager
ou
bo
Ci
nc
rho
il
fly
many-to-many
od
Gad
e-democracy.org Lea
der

59.
How Issues Forums Work
• Participants agree to rules
– Sign real name
– Post no more than twice a day
– Stay within scope of local charter
– May be suspended for violations
– Forum is facilitated, NOT pre-
moderated, those posting content are
100% responsible for what they post
– More: http://e-democracy.org/rules
e-democracy.org

60.
Issues Forums Office
Leader’s
Local Media
Researcher
Agenda-setting
Ma
Coverage
#1
yor
discussions, “e-mail
Citizen
leaks,” facilitation and r
rte
St
rule enforcement key
ud
p o
Re
en
t
Online
discussions n #2
in the heart Citize
C of local
i power
Issues Forum
Personal t GroupServer Candidate
Networks i Subscribe once
e-mails posts
z Commitment secured
Post via e-mail/web web view Polit
e ical A
ctivis
n t
s
0
50
Ne
Ci
n#
ty
igh
e
tiz
C
Forum Manager
“Secondary
ou
bo
Ci
nc
rho
Networks”
il
fly
od
e-mail forwards Council
Gad
Lea
media agenda-setting Department
e-democracy.org
der

61.
Issues Forums – E-Democracy.Org
Recent Topics
• Response to mugging near light rail
– http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/355
• Consultation on redevelopment
– http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/224
• Community garden – Talk to action
• Inaugural blue jean event in Cass
Lake
– http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/189
• Local “think tank” in Cook County MN
e-democracy.org

62.
Mapping Local Power
• Recruitment to make the forum “matter”
politically is essential, best upfront
• Elected officials, community leaders, local
journalists, active citizens
• “Average” citizens will not waste time in a
forum that does not matter
• Work from the “center” and avoid
marginalization
• Gives the deliberations reach and local
agenda-setting power
e-democracy.org

63.
Recruiting 100+ Members
• Build it and
they will NEVER
come
• Most similar efforts
fail on recruitment
not technology
• One at a time – In-person
recruitment, community events
• Outreach - local media, “virtual
door knocking”
• More: http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/372
Outreach in Cedar Riverside
e-democracy.org

64.
Forum Facilitation
• Forum manager guides the forum,
enforces the rules
• Selected and held accountable by
local steering committee
• Peer training/support network for
forum managers
• Issues Forum guidebook chapter,
Minneapolis lessons:
– http://e-democracy.org/if
e-democracy.org

65.
Online courage?
“What doesn’t kill you
makes you stronger…”
Mayor RT Rybak on his participation in the online
Minneapolis Issues Forum – Video from:
http://e-democracy.org/experience
e-democracy.org

66.
Leader “Challenges”
• Barriers To Use of Net by Community Leaders
1. Lack of time/tools to keep up with e-mail from constituents.
2. They thrive on face-to-face interpersonal connections. Online
lacks that social cues they rely on to keep control of
communication situations.
3. Sense that things are moving too rapidly to know where to
best invest scarce time.
4. Diffusion of channels - website, e-newsletter, blog, twitter,
social networks, local forums/blogs/news sites, etc. - where to
start?
5. Desire to communicate one-way (be my "fan" on Facebook)
versus two-way/many-to-many dialogue online.
6. Harsh nature of existing mostly anonymous/aliases based
online political expression. Well below the "worth it" threshold and
is poisoning the pool so to speak.
e-democracy.org

67.
Local Issues Forums Today
• Bemidji, MN – 117 members, New
• Cass Lake Leech Lake – 173 members, New 
• Cook County, MN – 173 members, New
• Grand Rapids, MN – 89 members, Opening soon
• Minneapolis, MN – 1114 members
– Cedar Riverside – 123 members, Just opened
– Seward NHood – 223 members
– Standish-Ericsson NHood – 352 members
– Powderhorn Nhood – 232 members, New
• St. Paul, MN – 628 members
• Roseville, MN – 197 members
• Winona, MN – 94 members
• Las Vegas, NM – 119 members
• Central Ohio Region – 126 members
• Brighton and Hove, UK – 287 members
• Newham, UK – 182 members
• Bristol 2 NHoods, UK – 235 members
• Oxford 3 NHoods, UK – 370 members
• Canterbury (Christchurch), NZ – 227 members
e-democracy.org

68.
Participation 3.0
• Imagine the world’s deepest and
most comprehensive local online
civic engagement project
• 10% Households in Minneapolis and
St. Paul core cities – ~30,000
participants everyday
• Did I say everyday?
e-democracy.org

69.
Issues Forums Tomorrow
• Neighborhood Issues Forums – Minneapolis/St.
Paul pilots … Ford Foundation, others?
• Greater social networking infusion and
connections
• Local everywhere – starting point for light weight
start-up
• Electronic block-clubs on up …
• “Now Do Something” public problem-solving
features
• Americorps/VISTA explorations,
GroupsNearYou.com … promoting the field
• Capital to innovate, transition to generate
community by community revenue for
sustainability
e-democracy.org

70.
E-Democracy.org Today
in Minneapolis and St. Paul
2 city-wide Issues Forums – 10+ years
Minneapolis 6 new at the neighborhood level
Issues Forum Neighbor Forums
St. Paul
Issues
Forum
“Online town hall” discussion and
community life exchange based on
bounded places – city boundaries,
official neighborhoods/district councils
E-Democracy.org hosts 25 community-wide and neighborhood online agenda-
setting “Issues Forums” across 15 communities in three countries – US, UK,
and New Zealand. Our largest base is in Minnesota, where we are proposing a
Participation 3.0 pilot and prototype. More: http://e-democracy.org
e-democracy.org

71.
Next Generation
Person/Household -
Minneapolis More Areas, Inclusion Participant-centric social
Issues Forum networking in “public life”
Neighbor Forums
Add E-Block Clubs and More
St. Paul
Issues
Forum
More neighborhood-level Issues Forums,
greater participation in city-wide Issues
Forums and …
Point-specific social networking
Build next generation pilot based on our connects people in neighbors-only
“electronic block clubs.” People can join
strengths and actual and existing local and self-organize with help.
thousands strong “e-citizen” participant
base.
e-democracy.org

72.
Participation 3.0
• Most online civic projects lack participants/
audience
• Need local partners – from cities seeking
online surveys and input options to police/
neighborhoods for e-block clubs to local
non-profits for “do something” tools
• Key is to leverage the 30,000 participants
and built or free services across the Net
e-democracy.org

73.
Participation 3.0
• Request outline draft to get involved:
– clift@e-democracy.org
e-democracy.org

74.
Local Issues Forums More
• Short TV Interview
• 60 Page Guidebook
• One Hour Webinar
• And more …
– http://e-democracy.org/if
• Live forums:
http://forums.e-democracy.org
e-democracy.org

75.
More
• http://blog.e-democracy.org
• http://e-democracy.org/webinars
• http://stevenclift.com
• http://dowire.org
e-democracy.org