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Lobbyists.info set to release report on landmark Congressional Communications Report

Wednesday, June 6th, 2012 by Vbhotla

As the writer of both Lobbyblog and one of the authors of this report, I am extremely excited to announce that it is nearly complete and almost ready for sale. While I have gone out of my way to avoid mentioning all the work that has gone into this report the past few weeks, I want to share with LobbyBlog readers part of the release for the Report so that they can know about this landmark study.

Lobbyists.info, in partnership with the Original U.S. Congress Handbook, George Washington University School of Political Management, and research partner ORI, is set to release the landmark “Congressional Communications Report.”

The report is the result of one of the largest surveys ever completed of Congressional staff and the lobbying community. Of nearly 3,000 responses, more than 700 came directly from Congressional staff.
“We have been overwhelmed by the number of surveys we’ve gotten back. To get this kind of response from the Congressional community and lobbying industry is incredible” remarked Dr. David Rehr, one of the survey’s creators. “I’m unaware of any Hill survey that is even close to the kind of numbers we’ve been seeing.”

Also shocking is the disconnect the numbers reveal between lobbyists and staff. “Lobbyists with 10, 15, even 20 years of experience may no longer know how best to interact with this current group of Congressional staff. A lot of what they are doing and information they are putting out there is just getting lost in the shuffle. People who have been working in the industry for a long time will be play online pokies amazed, and maybe even disturbed, by the difference in lobbyists’ perception of what staff thinks verses reality.” Remarked Joel Poznansky, President of Columbia Books Inc., parent company of Lobbyists.info & The Original U.S. Congress Handbook.

The report covers with detailed charts and analysis:

· The best ways to contact members of Congress and their staffs

· How changes in Hill demographics that have shifted perspective – and what common practices can now be a waste of resources

· What factors determine who gets access to Members or Hill staff

· How staffers prefer to learn about issues

· What lobbying tactics get results

· Which Congressional staffers are engaged in social media – and why

· How to walk the fine line between information and information overload

· Surprising findings about how staffers view bias in today’s information age and how they weigh it

· How staffers interact with each other and with media during their work day

· What types of media staffers prefer to hear, read and see

Lobbyists.info and the report’s sponsors are also holding a June 12th breakfast for the launch of the report. At the event an expert panel of lobbyists, researchers and Congressional staff, will break down the results and reveal groundbreaking news for an audience of industry insiders and lobbyists. Using the hard numbers in the report, strategies for how to best maximize lobbying time and money will be analyzed, discussed and dissected.

The Congressional Communications is currently available for pre-order at www.congressionalcommunicationsreport.com and will be published in June 2012. For more information on the expert panel breakfast in Washington DC on June 12, 2012 please visit www.congressionalcommunicationsreport.com/live

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CREW files complaint against Gingrich campaign

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 by Vbhotla

Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington filed an FEC complaint against GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich, alleging that his film company, Gingrich Productions, masked campaign events as film screenings, and that the campaign paid Gingrich $42,000 in funds that should have been directed to the company.

“We based our complaint on ABC News and Washington Post stories about these joint events and they seem to be for a dual purpose, for promoting his candidacy and promoting books,” said Melanie Sloan, executive director of CREW. “Gingrich Productions is a corporation and this would violate the rule of not white pages reverse phone receiving a corporation’s aid,” said Sloan. “In turn, the campaign was accepting an illegal contribution.”

The campaign responded, saying, “If the FEC considers the complaint, they will find that the rules are being followed and published regulations are being enforced.”

Sloan contends that mailing lists and other services Gingrich received thanks to his connection to the production company and a nonprofit once run by his former spokesman constitute impropriety on his behalf, and that “The FEC needs to investigate this…and get some answers from Gingrich and they should fine him if he’s found to be in violation.”

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Social Media Advocacy: Get with it or get left behind

Monday, July 11th, 2011 by Vbhotla

There are conflicting viewpoints on the role of social media in political advocacy: dissenters believe that social media promotes “slacktivism,” and that those who claim to be engaged are actually less informed, merely voicing unfounded opinions because they have a forum on which to do it.  Others argue that social media opens the public up to more information, promotes democracy, and encourages political action among users who are already socially and politically engaged.

Whatever your viewpoint, one thing is sure: from Capitol Hill to the White House, elected officials are turning to social media as a way to cut costs, increase access, promote their platforms, or just meet the public where they’re already playing to solicit political donations.  President Obama’s Twitter town hall last week — the first, but surely not last of its kind — saw a number of lobbyists getting in on the conversation.  From the Chamber of Commerce to health groups, a large number of organizations used the #AskObama hashtag to make a point, ask online blackjack that uses checks questions, and generally interact.  And whether the questions were directly addressed by the president or not, the messages were seen by his staff and others using the hashtag, making this communication vehicle more effective than simply sending a letter.

Roll Call‘s Kate Ackerly reports, “Obama mostly took questions from individuals, not the lobbying groups, but he did have a message for well-heeled interests. ‘The debt ceiling is not something that should be used as a gun against the heads of the American people to extract tax breaks for corporate jet owners or oil and gas companies that are making billions of dollars,’ he said.”

Whether it’s the president’s Twitter town hall, a Member’s being urged to cosponsor a bill thanks to redundant Facebook posts, the Obama Administration’s “white board” issue videos, Congress’ use of Skype and other video messaging services to allow virtual constituent meetings, social media is changing the way legislators legislate.  Be a part of the (digital) conversation or be deemed irrelevant.

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