Why the mayor should blog
Submitted by jarah on Tue, 11/15/2005 - 21:28.
Alan Autry has been doing things I like lately. Independent police auditor? I like that. Open zoo board meetings? Sign me up. But I still have questions that can't be answered by a neat quote in the paper or 15 seconds on the TV news. Sometimes, I'd like to hear more from the guy who's most responsible for shaping Fresno's future. That's why I think he should start a Mayor's Blog. I told him so in an email I sent two weeks ago; no response just yet.
Dear Mayor Autry,
Jarah here, from your Creative Economy Council. We met briefly at our first CEC meeting/press conference and I suggested to you that you start a Mayor's blog. You mentioned that it was something you had thought about, and that the City was in the process of revamping its website. I know you are extremely busy with many urgent issues on your plate, but I wanted to communicate to you why I think starting a Mayor's blog is so important- for Fresno and for you personally.
First things first though: What is a blog?
A blog (short for weblog), is essentially a website that is powered by self-publishing software (Blogger, Moveable Type, and Wordpress are examples). This software makes it easy for the non-geeks among us to post our own content to the web. It's as easy as sending an email, and it is updated instantly. One characteristic of blogs is their informal tone. Since they can be updated on the fly, most blogs take a straightforward conversational tone. Most are written in the first person, and as such create a real connection between writer and reader. Blogs also make it easy to link to other online content, and add your own commentary. They also make it easy to link to other blogs, creating an online conversation among bloggers. Another important feature of blogs are content feeds (or RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication). Readers can subscribe to your blog feed and read it in a feed reader (Bloglines is an example). This allows folks to keep track of many blogs and websites, without having to actually visit the site every day. The ecosystem of blogs on the internet is generally referred to as the "blogosphere."
What's in it for Fresno?
Put simply, a blog offers a chance for genuine dialog between government and its constituents. More real than press releases or news articles, a blog allows your constituents to hear it directly from you, in your own words. Blogs are an inherently democratic form of media. They're free to publish; anyone can express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Why wait for traditional media outlets to pick up a story you think is important to the people of Fresno? With a blog, you can let folks know about the important work happening at City Hall. A better informed electorate leads to a stronger democracy; blogs encourage conversation and debate. Folks can link to posts on your blog and add their own two cents. And while some of it is sure to be critical, a real debate about the issues can never be a bad thing. A Mayor's blog would put a lot of the great work being done at City Hall- like Fresno Connect and the City's recent EPA award- on display for the electorate.
Speaking of Fresno Connect, what better way to show that Fresno is a City that embraces technology than a Mayor who blogs? It's no secret that many folks in California still think of Fresno as a rural backwater. We know this is not the case- having a mayor with a strong online voice could help drive that point home. It would show that our leadership is willing to embrace new technology, and use it to connect with the people.
An online voice for the Mayor's office would also raise Fresno's national and state-wide profile. Did you make a statement following the Brookings Institution report on poverty? I'm sure you did, but I didn't see it. Posting a response on your blog to a national story like that would ensure that your words get picked up by people discussing the story. Technorati, the Google of blog search engines, is currently tracking 20 million blogs, and the total number of blogs is doubling every five months. Political bloggers are the chattiest people on the planet. Instead of them just picking up on the negatives of the region, they could turn to you to pick up on the positives.
Unfortunately, the blogosphere is not talking about Fresno. A quick search on Technorati shows only 104 posts with the term "Alan Autry." A search for "Gavin Newsom" returns 3,691 results. Only 9 of those "Alan Autry" posts reference your efforts to help Katrina victims. While that story got a lot of well-derserved press, it didn't get enough coverage in the blogosphere. Raising Fresno's online profile could go a long way to winning more support from Sacramento and Washington. Our region does not get the attention it deserves- this is an easy (and free) way to elevate our profile.
What's in it for you?
I don't know what your plans are after your term as Mayor ends, but I suspect your talent for leadership will not allow you to stay at home by the fire. There is a strong network of political blogs that I think would be big fans of yours, if only they got to know you a little better. Some of the most popular blogs in the US, like Instapundit.com, and powerline.com can grant huge exposure with just one link. Theses sites receive millions of views a day. If you are interested in raising your profile either state-wide or nationally, blogs can be an effective way of doing so. They can also help to keep stories alive, like your work with Katrina victims.
Who's blogging?
In addition to the numerous columnists and pundits, a growing number of politicians publish their own blogs. Jerry Brown blogs. Anthony Williams, mayor of Washington, DC, blogs. R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, blogs. And just last week the Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert, launched his own blog. Take a look, the man third in line for the presidency has a blog.
Blogs can be a powerful tool to connect with constituents. They can help raise the profile of an issue, a region, or a person. I hope you'll consider starting a Mayor's Blog soon.
Sincerely,
Jarah
Dear Mayor Autry,
Jarah here, from your Creative Economy Council. We met briefly at our first CEC meeting/press conference and I suggested to you that you start a Mayor's blog. You mentioned that it was something you had thought about, and that the City was in the process of revamping its website. I know you are extremely busy with many urgent issues on your plate, but I wanted to communicate to you why I think starting a Mayor's blog is so important- for Fresno and for you personally.
First things first though: What is a blog?
A blog (short for weblog), is essentially a website that is powered by self-publishing software (Blogger, Moveable Type, and Wordpress are examples). This software makes it easy for the non-geeks among us to post our own content to the web. It's as easy as sending an email, and it is updated instantly. One characteristic of blogs is their informal tone. Since they can be updated on the fly, most blogs take a straightforward conversational tone. Most are written in the first person, and as such create a real connection between writer and reader. Blogs also make it easy to link to other online content, and add your own commentary. They also make it easy to link to other blogs, creating an online conversation among bloggers. Another important feature of blogs are content feeds (or RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication). Readers can subscribe to your blog feed and read it in a feed reader (Bloglines is an example). This allows folks to keep track of many blogs and websites, without having to actually visit the site every day. The ecosystem of blogs on the internet is generally referred to as the "blogosphere."
What's in it for Fresno?
Put simply, a blog offers a chance for genuine dialog between government and its constituents. More real than press releases or news articles, a blog allows your constituents to hear it directly from you, in your own words. Blogs are an inherently democratic form of media. They're free to publish; anyone can express their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. Why wait for traditional media outlets to pick up a story you think is important to the people of Fresno? With a blog, you can let folks know about the important work happening at City Hall. A better informed electorate leads to a stronger democracy; blogs encourage conversation and debate. Folks can link to posts on your blog and add their own two cents. And while some of it is sure to be critical, a real debate about the issues can never be a bad thing. A Mayor's blog would put a lot of the great work being done at City Hall- like Fresno Connect and the City's recent EPA award- on display for the electorate.
Speaking of Fresno Connect, what better way to show that Fresno is a City that embraces technology than a Mayor who blogs? It's no secret that many folks in California still think of Fresno as a rural backwater. We know this is not the case- having a mayor with a strong online voice could help drive that point home. It would show that our leadership is willing to embrace new technology, and use it to connect with the people.
An online voice for the Mayor's office would also raise Fresno's national and state-wide profile. Did you make a statement following the Brookings Institution report on poverty? I'm sure you did, but I didn't see it. Posting a response on your blog to a national story like that would ensure that your words get picked up by people discussing the story. Technorati, the Google of blog search engines, is currently tracking 20 million blogs, and the total number of blogs is doubling every five months. Political bloggers are the chattiest people on the planet. Instead of them just picking up on the negatives of the region, they could turn to you to pick up on the positives.
Unfortunately, the blogosphere is not talking about Fresno. A quick search on Technorati shows only 104 posts with the term "Alan Autry." A search for "Gavin Newsom" returns 3,691 results. Only 9 of those "Alan Autry" posts reference your efforts to help Katrina victims. While that story got a lot of well-derserved press, it didn't get enough coverage in the blogosphere. Raising Fresno's online profile could go a long way to winning more support from Sacramento and Washington. Our region does not get the attention it deserves- this is an easy (and free) way to elevate our profile.
What's in it for you?
I don't know what your plans are after your term as Mayor ends, but I suspect your talent for leadership will not allow you to stay at home by the fire. There is a strong network of political blogs that I think would be big fans of yours, if only they got to know you a little better. Some of the most popular blogs in the US, like Instapundit.com, and powerline.com can grant huge exposure with just one link. Theses sites receive millions of views a day. If you are interested in raising your profile either state-wide or nationally, blogs can be an effective way of doing so. They can also help to keep stories alive, like your work with Katrina victims.
Who's blogging?
In addition to the numerous columnists and pundits, a growing number of politicians publish their own blogs. Jerry Brown blogs. Anthony Williams, mayor of Washington, DC, blogs. R.T. Rybak, mayor of Minneapolis, blogs. And just last week the Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert, launched his own blog. Take a look, the man third in line for the presidency has a blog.
Blogs can be a powerful tool to connect with constituents. They can help raise the profile of an issue, a region, or a person. I hope you'll consider starting a Mayor's Blog soon.
Sincerely,
Jarah
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