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Posts Tagged ‘twitter’
Wednesday, January 21st, 2015 by Vbhotla
TWITTER HAS BECOME A key way for Members of Congress to communicate with their constituents, both on the campaign trail and in office. In fact, all but one of the incoming Congressional freshmen for the 114th Congress already has a Twitter account. Although many Congressional Twitter accounts are likely run by staffers, some (notably @ChuckGrassley) are run directly by the Member. In either case, these accounts are valuable sources of news and Member viewpoints. So, without further ado, Lobby Blog presents a list of the Twitter accounts for all of the freshmen Members in both chambers, compiled using data from Lobbyists.info.
Senate:
House:
Tags: twitter
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Congress All A-Twitter
Friday, November 1st, 2013 by Geoffrey Lyons
THE HILL HAS just unveiled it’s annual “Top Lobbyists” list, and LobbyBlog seized the opportunity, as it did last year, to speak with its wearied compiler-in-chief, Business & Lobbying Editor Dustin Weaver. It did not go unnoticed that the short time Weaver spared for these questions came at the expense of an impending print deadline, so many thanks are owed. Any typographical errors in the latest print edition of The Hill can be blamed squarely on LobbyBlog.
LobbyBlog: Only two people are new to the list of top corporate lobbyists. Does this reflect the difficulty of breaking into corporate lobbying in Washington?
Dustin Weaver: It reflects the fact that corporations don’t like to talk about their lobbying. The people who work for them usually operate behind the scenes and aren’t seeking to publicize their work.
LB: The premise to last year’s list read that 2012 “hasn’t been the best year for K Street…” How has 2013 been?
DW: It’s shaping up as another down year. Most firms are treading water when it comes to revenue, and there’s not much hope of things getting better before the midterm elections. Gridlock in Congress is the new normal, and it’s making it harder for lobbyists to drum up business.
LB: What key characteristics distinguish the lobbyists who make the list from those who don’t? What is it that makes them so influential?
DW: Influence, like charisma, is one of those things that can’t be quantified; you know it when you see it. Some of the Top Lobbyists are masters of policy, others are great at building relationships. Some have great access, while others shape the debate using grassroots organizing. People rise to the top in different ways.
LB: One of last year’s big trends was the growth in the number of tech companies hiring lobbyists – Twitter, for example. Yelp just hired a lobbyist earlier this month. Is this an ongoing trend?
DW: Tech is the new boom industry, and their growing lobbying presence reflects that. The bigger companies like Google and Facebook get, the more lobbying help they need in Washington.
LB: Here’s an excerpt from Mark Leibovich’s This Town, which received a lot of buzz this year: “In 1974, 3 percent of retiring members of Congress became lobbyists. Now, 50 percent of senators and 42 percent of congressmen do. No one goes home anymore.” Can you expand on this?
DW: Law and lobby firms definitely place a high value on the insider knowledge that only lawmakers can provide. Why more lawmakers are choosing to make the jump to K Street, I can’t say. But as a career move, it seems to be more acceptable now than it used to be.
Tags: Dustin Weaver, Mark Leibovich, the hill, This Town, Top Lobbyists 2013, twitter, Yelp
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Top Lobbyists of 2013
Friday, November 2nd, 2012 by Geoffrey Lyons
THE HILL RECENTLY released its annual list of top lobbyists, which comes at an interesting time considering a pre-election want of congressional activity. (The Senate is holding daily pro forma sessions; the House doesn’t reconvene until the 12th). I spoke briefly with the list’s compiler-in-chief, Business and Lobbying Editor Dustin Weaver, to review his findings.
“It’s more of an art than a craft,” said Weaver, describing the criteria used to select the lobbyists. “As an editorial team, we’re simply looking for people who shape the debate – people at the forefront.”
People at the forefront indeed. The “Hired Guns” section not only contains K St. all-stars – Tony Podesta, for instance, founder and chairman of the prominent Podesta Group – but it also includes household names: Chris Dodd, Trent Lott, Haley Barbour, among others. “Barbour’s new to the list,” said Weaver, “but that’s only because he just returned to lobbying – otherwise he’s a no-brainer.”
But not everyone who was selected is an established veteran. Colin Crowell, new to the list this year, is Weaver. “Tech is the fastest growing industry in America, and it’s definitely rubbing off on K St.”
But besides attracting more techies, how else is K St. changing? Weaver indicated two trends:
For the short term, it’s losing revenue. The August and September recesses have depleted the coffers even of giants like Patton Boggs, which recently reported a 4% earnings drop from this time last year. “But recess doesn’t mean lobbyists are twiddling their thumbs,” said Weaver. “There are a lot of big-ticket issues to prepare for when Congress reconvenes.”
For the long term, it’s fundamentally reshaping itself. Trends show an increasing preference for small, independent lobby shops over the larger, staid firms. “A lot of lobbyists don’t feel the need to work for big shops anymore,” said Weaver. “Many of them have been wildly successful on their own.”
It’s doubtful any of these patterns will bring about radical changes in the lobbying world. It’s safer to assume the Barbours and Podestas of the industry will remain fixtures for years to come. The Hill’s annual list will be a reliable test for this assessment.
Tags: Capitol Hill, chris dodd, Haley Barbour, K Street, Lobbying, Podesta Group, recess, sen. chris dodd, Senate, tech lobbying, Tony Podesta, top lobbying firms, top lobbyists, twitter
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on “Top Lobbyists” of 2012 Reveal Changes on K St.
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011 by Vbhotla
According to a recent study by the Congressional Management Foundation, nearly three out of every four staffers surveyed say social media allows Members to reach people they had not previously communicated with, and over half (55%) believe that the benefits of social media outweigh the risks, both indicative of a sweeping trend on the Hill. As such, “[m]ost members of Congress have thoroughly integrated social media into their communications operations, and are using new media tools to gauge public opinion, communicate with constituents, and reach new people.”
 A new study by the Congressional Management Foundation found congressional staff say Facebook is most effective social network for connecting with constituents. Of these social media platforms, Members and staffers look to Facebook as the preferred method of connecting with constituents online. With 74% of those surveyed saying Facebook is somewhat or very important for communicating Members’ views, the social network has a slight edge over YouTube (72%), which has been popular as video becomes an increasingly prevalent forum for disseminating messages. Just over half of respondents (51%) say Twitter is somewhat or very important for the same purpose.
While offices seem to value all three networks for getting their own messages out, the impact of social media on the Members’ ability to gauge the needs of those they represent is lessened. When asked about the importance of the online tools to helping Members understand constituents’ opinions, 64% say Facebook is somewhat or very important to this task, 42% say the same about Twitter, and only 34% feel YouTube is an important tool to collect constituent beliefs.
District visits, individual communications, and other more tangible forms of communication are still preferred, the report says, but “it is clear that congressional offices are taking Members’ Facebook friends seriously.”
Bradford Fitch, CEO of the Congressional Management Foundation, told USA Today that social media tools are more prevalent and have been more readily adopted by members of this Congress than email or fax communications.
“These technologies are starting to change how Congress communicates with their constituents and is allowing members to reach citizens who otherwise might not engage in democratic dialogue,” he told USA Today.
There is, however, still a generational divide over the topic of social media in Congress: two-thirds of staffers under 30 say engaging on social media is worth the offices’ time, compared with only one third of those 51 and older.
Tags: Congress adopts technology, Facebook, facebook in Congress, social media in congress, twitter, youtube
Posted in Lobbying News | Comments Off on Facebook #1 in Congress
Thursday, February 24th, 2011 by Vbhotla
When one thinks of “lobbying,” power suits, briefcases, maybe a “K St.” sign, maybe even scowling politicians and news headlines come to mind. But it is probably safe to assume that the term does not stir up images of little blue birdies. Yet, increasingly, Twitter is taking center stage in lobbying efforts around the globe.
Twitter was largely credited for the favorable opinion Egyptians received during their revolt for freedom a few weeks ago; had it not been for the American public’s ability to watch the events unfold through the eyes of the citizens on Twitter, the U.S. could have easily (and probably would have) sided with the Egyptian government, as Egypt has traditionally been a key U.S. ally.
In New York, Underheard in New York is trying to bring the plight of the homeless to the forefront of people’s minds in the same way as the Egyptian people. According to their website, the self-described “Millenials” believe the best way “to help the homeless population is by helping them be better heard and understood.” To achieve this, the team of young people has armed four homeless men in the city with prepaid cell phones and Twitter accounts, encouraging them to document their struggles.
One, Danny, Tweeting as @putodanny, hopes to be reunited with his daughter through the site. Albert (@albert814) was laid off as a welder three years ago due to declining eyesight. He hopes to earn culinary certification and become a chef. His co0king test is today. Both Carlos (@jesse550) and Derrick (@awitness2011) tweet often about visiting the library to post resumes. Carlos has 26 years of experience as a paralegal and is hoping to start his own credit collection agency. Derrick wants to own a Christian entertainment facility.
They have built Twitter followings of over 3,000 each (except Carlos, who has yet to tweet). And not only are their stories being told, people are reaching out to help. Already, Danny has received an offer from a professional writer to help him pen a book.
It is impossible to deny the impact social media sites like Twitter is having on day to day activities, the influence on perspectives. Congressmen, regulatory agencies, the president are all engaging with followers on Twitter. If you have yet to embrace social media as an effective avenue to get your message heard, you are missing a world of opportunity.
For more information on social media as an effective Grassroots, Grasstops, and Coalition building platform, join us for our March 28 Lobbying Certificate Program.
Tags: Egypt, grassroots and coalitions lcp, grassroots lobbying, lobbying on twitter, twitter, underheard in new york, underheardinnewyork
Posted in Just for Fun | Comments Off on Lobbying through Twitter
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