Organizing the public through Facebook : a study of the role of new media in public policy

Abstract

Governments can use the internet to interact more with the public. New media applications are fast and cost-effective. Some studies done after 2000 view new forms of media positively, and consider the internet's ability to increase interactions between the public and policymakers. For example, Stanley and Weare (2004) challenge the studies that failed to prove the internet's ability to mobilize people. They claim that ―extending opportunities for participation can attract new voices, thereby changing decision makers' information environment (Stanley and Weare 2004, 503)." Governments and political activists use the internet increasingly in their activities. Ferber et al (2005) evaluated the interactivity of state legislature websites in the United States. While Ferber et al (2005, 85) mention that many state legislature websites are not very interactive, states attempt to direct their websites toward motivating public engagement than promoting interactivity. Governments should play an active role in developing electronic platforms to interact with the public. There is another side of the new media use. While official websites provide communication platforms for state agencies, citizens also use Facebook, Twitter, blogs and e-mail to interact among each other, and with policymakers. It is important to understand how both these aspects facilitate public engagement in order to increase future public participation.