This document discusses navigating the changing social media landscape and the opportunities it presents for engagement. It notes that the information environment is now global, continuous and allows unlimited access to constant news updates. In contrast, traditional media engagement is constrained and slow. Younger generations now get most of their information from the internet and social media is growing rapidly, with sites like Facebook and LinkedIn having hundreds of millions of active users. The audience is now better able to drive the agenda and issues discussed. The document encourages the Air Force to engage in transparent peer-to-peer dialogue through social media to foster open communication.

1. 1Navigating the Social Media LandscapeCapt. Chris Sukach, Chief Emerging TechnologyAir Force Public Affairs Agency

2. 2The Information EnvironmentGlobal & continuousReal-time, future speculation possibleUnlimited accessContinuous news, blogs, camera phones, …

3. Our engagement

4. Constrained, slow, coordinated

5. Adversaries’ engagement

6. Unconstrained; autonomous, proactiveConstantnews cycle185M blogs, 175,000 a day WWW: 6,366 newspapers onlineMedia competition builds pressureCNN effectLocal news = global newsInsatiable media appetite

7. Changing Media LandscapeCBS Morning Show25th Anniversary“How the Media LandscapeHas Changed”

8. Generation ‘We’Internet is primary source of info for people born after 198775% text message41% picture messaging28% created their own blog19% growth since 2004 27% have personal Web pages40% of Air Force is under 2693% of teens use the Internet regularly, primarily for social interaction

9. Internet Overtakes Newspapers:The Shifting Communications ModelIn 2008, Internet surpassed newspapers as main source of info 40% get news from Internet (16% increase from 2007)35% get news from newspapers70% get news from TV

10. Newspapers Web SitesTop 10 Newspaper Web Sites for 2008 (% increase from 2007)NYTimes.com 33%USATODAY.com 12% Washingtonpost.com 19% LA Times 54% Wall Street Journal Online 60%Boston Globe 22% New York Post 30% Chicago Tribune 34%New York Daily News 68%San Francisco Chronicle 10%NY Times.com method to online classified ads

11. MagazinesSales of U.S. magazines fell 12% (Q1 & Q2 2009)

12. Celebrity/women's titles getting hit especially hard

13. 383 folded in 2009 (Q1-Q3), 525 in 2008, 591 in 2007The Audience Will Drive the StoryPeople create new behavior by adopting new toolsThey are empowered and are organizing to drive the issues, stories and agendas If the mainstream won’t pick it up, the people willAs a result, people are creating their own ad hoc organizations to accomplish what they want

14. Top 20 Social SitesSocial media use rose 27% among adult users (2005 – 2008)1. Facebook 11. Multiply2. MySpace 12. Friendster3. Twitter 13. Meetup4. Linkedin 14. BlackPlanet5. Classmates 15. Gaia Online6. Ning 16. Piczo7. Bebo 17. Orkut8. Hi5 18. FotoLog9. Tagged 19. Skyrock10. MyYearbook 20. Badoo

15. Social Sites: Some #s22% of adult social network users have a profile on Facebook, 6% on LinkedInFacebook has 300 million active users (If it was a country, would be 4th largest in the world)70% of Facebook users are outside of the USLinkedIn has 50 million active usersHalf are from countries other than USMedian age: LinkedIn: 39; Facebook: 33

16. Journalist Habits, Preferences75% want info by email

17. Often less than 1 paragraph(140 characters)

18. 75% read 1 blog for research