Larry D. Lauer

Is it possible for leaders to use new media technology such as Twitter to communicate directly with their constituents, and thereby ignore the news media?  The answer is yes, and no!

Since the digital technology revolution changed the world, strategic communicators have been using new media tools to communicate directly with their audiences with great success. These tools certainly mean that institutions and governments no longer have to rely on the press to connect with their constituents. It is indeed possible to send messages to audiences exactly as leaders shape them. The president-elect did not invent this idea… it’s been going on for a long time.

However, the need to have strong relationships with the press cannot go away. It is deadly to think otherwise:

First, those relationships are necessary because dealing effectively with issues and crises require it.  Otherwise, relentless investigative journalism will ultimately undermine a leader’s credibility. Leaders must look like they know what they are doing in a crisis, and they cannot do it without handling themselves confidently with reporters.

Second, 24/7 news media will be writing stories with or without the cooperation of leaders, and will be using the same technology tools to reach their constituents directly.

Third, third-party endorsements are powerful on those occasions when it is possible to get your  message to the public through the news media.

And fourth, there always will be huge numbers of people reacting negatively to leader “tweets” and thereby getting energized and mobilized by the digital and traditional media they follow. Special interest websites, cable channels with viewpoints, cause driven bloggers, and endless other issue-focused social media sites will be building and activating their own followers in opposition.

The fact that a president of the United States stays up all night “tweeting” to avoid talking to the press will not insulate him from the daily negative impact of endless messages generated by a relentless army of 24/7 journalists using the same technology.