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Today:
Millions online
Tomorrow:
Billions online
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Information wants to be free.
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Volume 2, Number 5
June 26, 2002
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Online Issue Audits: When Do You Need One?
March 2003, a crucial bill is coming up for a vote
in a state legislature. Legislators are preparing for the vote,
reading briefs prepared by staff and lobbyists, consulting with
leadership or even scouring the Internet for more information to
help them decide how to vote.
At the same time, journalists and editorial boards
are researching the issue online as they prepare to write their
stories and editorials.
This is not the time to wonder how your issue is
being presented online. That time is way past due.
Therefore, the best warfare strategy is
to attack the enemy's plans, next is to attack alliances, next
is to attack the army, and the worst is to attack a walled city.
Sun Tzu
The Art of War
The time to assess how your issue is presented
online is at the outset of your campaign. The more policymakers
and the media turn to the Internet to research, the more crucial
it is that you have a clear understanding of what they will find
there. An online issue audit will expose many of your opponents'
plans of attack. It will reveal those allied against you, as well
as those allied with you. If your opponents have provided detailed
and documented arguments against you, knowing those arguments will
help you more effectively counter them. Whether you take your campaign
online, or not, knowing the terrain on which you do battle will
help you to develop the most effective strategy and tactics; it
will help you to take better control of the language of the debate.
If one does not know the place of battle
and the day of battle, then his left cannot aid his right, and
his right cannot aid his left; his front cannot aid his back,
and his back cannot aid his front.
Sun Tzu
The Art of War
Online information about your issue is not necessarily
a factor in the policy debate. Information that is hard to find
is unlikely to play a part. Policy pitches that are not paired with
advocacy tools are unlikely to prompt action for, or against, the
policy proposal. By providing a critical review of online issue
resources, an online issue audit helps you to prioritize arguments
and opponents, allowing you to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness
of your response.
Further, policy debates evolve over time. New actors
may emerge online and old actors may upgrade their presence. A benchmark
issue audit is not enough when the issue is hot. Monitoring your
issue online, as the policy debate progresses, will alert you to
new arguments and new assaults on your goals. You will be able to
adjust your own strategy and tactics in response.
Therefore, know the enemy's plans and calculate
their strengths and weaknesses.
Sun Tzu
The Art of War
Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War 2,500 years
ago. Despite the book's age, his insight has endured and is still
relevant today. Applying his wisdom to modern business has become
very popular, and though some might claim it has become cliché,
the truth is it offers the kernels that form the basis of any successful
engagement. As I continually stress, online advocacy is about strategy,
not tools. And strategy depends upon good intelligence. An online
issue audit provides the intelligence essential to win a policy
campaign. The policymaker understands this, the media understand
this, and most likely, your opponents understand this, too.
Online Advocacy Tips:
Online Issue Audits: When Do You Need One?
1. Conduct a benchmark online issue audit at the beginning of
your campaign.
2. Update your online issue audit regularly throughout your campaign.
3. Use the online issue audit to identify your allies and opponents.
4. Use the online issue audit to guide your own strategy and tactics.
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