Obama’s Wi-Fi White House Speaks to the YouTube Age

In the midst of economic crisis, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave his first “fireside chat” by radio on March 12, 1933, less than two months after entering office. President-elect Barack Obama did not wait that long, and two months before entering office, he turned to YouTube to share his thoughts with the public. “Technology and the internet are set to be a core part of the new administration, bolstered by Obama's massive online army of supporters,” write Paul Harris and David Smith for the Guardian. The journalists label his use of technology “the tip of the iceberg” in transforming politics. Obama’s technology plans include naming a chief technology officer, hosting townhall-style interactions online, posting government meetings online, creating accessible internet databases on taxes and government spending, and increasing US broadband access. The next president enters office with 10 million enthusiastic online supporters, who can be contacted instantly to react or act on policies, Harris and Smith report. Such an online group is a new frontier in politics – and its powers or embarrassments are yet to be discovered. – YaleGlobal