You knew it would come to this, right?
The New York Times reported on efforts to curtail video uploads by members of Congress, even though the headline actually refers to Twitter.
“In House, Tweets Fly Over Web Plan” from Michael Falcone. The headline references the use of Twitter from the House floor. Who knew! Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas) is the social media-savvy one at the heart of the story.
He apparently tweets quite a bit, allowing instant communication to the outside during the proceedings that he’s a part of. A true sign of the times.
I attended a blogger meetup in Portland this afternoon and this story came up as we discussed Twitter and its growing popularity.
Just think of the possibilities for how Twittering during a key debate could be reported. I can hear the breathless TV reporter now. “The discussion has gone on for hours, keeping us from talking to Sen. Smith, but she’s been Twittering her reaction to the debate. She says…”
No need to wait for a soundbite if Twitter can do it in text form.
The Times story also involves Rep. Michael E. Capuano (D-Mass.) who is recommending that legislators face new guidelines for posting videos on sites like YouTube. The deal is, he doesn’t want members to use public money if they are posting video to Web sites that feature commercial and political advertisement
As for Twitter, in the article, Capuano says “If someone wants to Twitter away all day long, that’s fine. I don’t think my constituents want to hear from me all that often.”
Maybe they do.
