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Today:
Millions online
Tomorrow:
Billions online
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Information wants to be free.
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Volume 1, Number 3
July 18, 2001
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State-based Online Policy Forums on the
Rise
Across the country, new Web sites are coming online that are devoted
to politics and policy issues for specific states. These online forums provide
state-specific news and information and message boards for people visiting the
sites to share ideas and opinions. These forums tend to be privately owned,
but are attracting a broad audience that include government officials, media,
activists, and voters. Organizations interested in shaping state policy should
monitor and participate in these community discussions.
As the popularity of these forums grows, both across states and within them,
they will become digital commons where arguments for and against specific policies
will be tested in a virtual focus group. Since the audiences include such a
broad range of people, it is possible that the success or failure of a policy
may well hinge on the substance of these debates. If your organization's views
are missing from these debates, your likelihood of success will be reduced.
Take as an example PoliticsNJ.com.
This New Jersey-based political forum was launched in February 2000. By the
end of the year 2000, it boasted an audience of over 1.2 million New Jersey
citizens. According to statistics provided on the site, 15% of these people
were elected officials, 28% were party officials, 13% were policy makers, 5%
were members of the media, 14% were issue/policy activists and 34% were involved
in political campaigns. And these are not fly-by-night visitors; 40% visit the
site at least once a day and 67% visit it several times a week.
New Jersey State Senator Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) calls PoliticsNJ.com
"a daily fix for political junkies."
Former Governor Jim Florio said, "PoliticsNJ.com quickly
replaced the Statehouse as the rumor mill of choice for New Jersey's political
establishment. We haven't had anything this exciting come along since they started
printing the Fitzgerald's Manual -New Jersey's governmental 'bible.' The site
is a must read…."
According to Tom Wilson, Campaign Manager, Whitman for Governor,
1997, "PoliticsNJ has become a regular part of the political dialogue and
is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand fully the political landscape
in New Jersey." Other states also have similar forums. In Minnesota, political
junkies can turn to Minnesota
e-Democracy, a project launch by cyber-politics guru Steven Clift. They
can also go to MN-Politics.com
for more information and discussions. In Maryland, it is the Maryland
Online Network. In Maine, policy discussions can be joined at As
Maine Goes. North Carolina's forum has been up and running, but the Tar
Heel State Online is currently undergoing a major upgrade.
Some of the state-based forums are more narrowly defined, focused on specific
issues. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin
Stewardship Network provides a forum for discussion of conservation and
environmental issues. In Michigan, JumpStart
Michigan is devoted to children's issues.
It is only a matter of time before every state has one, or more
of these forums. For organizations seeking to influence policy in one of these
states, participation in these forums will become essential. Regular monitoring
and response to opposing arguments is essential. A more proactive approach,
initiating positive comments and encouraging support is also important. Placing
the seeds of support before the criticisms begin will help decrease the impact
of your opponents' arguments.
Online Advocacy Tips:
State-based Online Forums
1. Identify forums devoted
to policy debate in the states where you need to influence policy.
2. Assign someone to monitor
and comment on these forums.
3. Develop clear and effective
message language for posting to these forums.
4. Encourage a broad range
of supporters (employees, industry allies, etc.) to also participate in these
forums.
5. Refer policy-makers
and media to the forums so they can see the full scope of the debate.
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