The Fireside Chat vs. the Podcast

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com to disprove unsubstantiated rumors circulating about the Democratic nominee.

But what happens once one of these candidates is elected to office? What would be the modern equivalent of the fireside chat? How can tools like LinkedIn and YouTube be used to provide a more transparent government?

We recommend government to act in two crucial ways to help facilitate an environment where there is transparency and efficient communication.

First, governmental branches, from the White House to the Federal Reserve, should find ways to revolutionize mass communication to invite citizens into the democratic process in innovative and timely ways. We're not suggesting Chairman Ben Bernanke should be blogging about his opinion on every financial event, but a blog or podcast would be the perfect tool to help explain the role of the Fed, and what does and does not fall under the Reserve's purview. At present, the Fed's static, dense Web site does in fact offer plenty of information, but its failure to incorporate any aspects of Web 2.0 makes it much less useful.

The White House today continues the weekly radio addresses pioneered by FDR and offers regular press briefings, weekly e-mail updates, and occasional Presidential press conferences. However, the information conveyed here lacks in both depth and accessibility when compared to the information supporters are inundated with by Presidential campaigns.

Perhaps the most promising title on the White House's official site—"White House Interactive"—leads to a question-and-answer section, with the most "recent" question dated Mar. 26, 2007. The question: "George W. Bush is what number as President of the U.S.?" Talk about useless information.

Our second suggestion is that many of the Securities and Exchange Commission restrictions that regulate how financial companies communicate should be updated to reflect the realities of a Web 2.0 world. What new methods for more efficient and open communication might be employed, and how might stakeholders and companies alike benefit from such use? The chill factor of SEC sanctions often keeps these companies from even exploring such options.

Government 2.0 Optimization

Blogs, podcasts, and online forums are all ways to get a conversation started online. But, until our governments and businesses understand the thinking and strategy behind using Web 2.0 tools and social media, they will remain out of touch with their audiences. Some public and private institutions are demonstrating a strong desire to take advantage of new ways of reaching their audiences. Initiatives like "E-Democracy in Minnesota" televise state legislative meetings online and allow citizens to send comments directly to lawmakers.

General Motors (GM) Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz is just one example of a corporate leader who has developed a strong voice through his blog, GM Fast Lane, providing readers with information about the latest technologies in the automotive industry rather than constantly hyping GM's brands and products directly. Sun Microsystems (JAVA) CEO Jonathan Schwartz has said he believes blogging to be the best, fastest, and most transparent way to communicate with the company's constituencies.

During a Presidential election and a crisis in economic confidence, power brokers in government and business alike need to realize it's crucial to use these new tools to better communicate with the nation, and our communication regulators need to be sure today's laws reflect the realities of a Web 2.0 world.

Finding the digital equivalent of the fireside chat is an ideal way to start this process. We can only hope that, come January, our new leadership puts at least as much energy into using digital tools to explain what they're doing to make good on their promises as they did in selling them to us.

Steven Cody is managing partner of Peppercom Inc., a strategic communications firm headquartered in New York with offices in San Francisco and London. Steve invites you to visit his blog: www.RepManBlog.com. Sam Ford is director of customer insights with Peppercom Inc. and a research affiliate with the MIT Convergence Culture Consortium.