*** Democracies Online Newswire - http://www.e-democracy.org/do *** Web version at: http://www.stateside.com/TOA.html (Distributed to DO-WIRE with permission.) State-based Online Policy Forums on the Rise By Alan J Rosenblatt Vice President, Online Advocacy Services, Stateside Associates [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.stateside.com Across the country, new Web sites are coming online that are devoted to politics and policy issues for specific states. These online forums provide state-specific news and information and message boards for people visiting the sites to share ideas and opinions. These forums tend to be privately owned, but are attracting a broad audience that include government officials, media, activists, and voters. Organizations interested in shaping state policy should monitor and participate in these community discussions. As the popularity of these forums grows, both across states and within them, they will become digital commons where arguments for and against specific policies will be tested in a virtual focus group. Since the audiences include such a broad range of people, it is possible that the success or failure of a policy may well hinge on the substance of these debates. If your organization's views are missing from these debates, your likelihood of success will be reduced. Take as an example http://www.PoliticsNJ.com. This New Jersey-based political forum was launched in February 2000. By the end of the year 2000, it boasted an audience of over 1.2 million New Jersey citizens. According to statistics provided on the site, 15% of these people were elected officials, 28% were party officials, 13% were policy makers, 5% were members of the media, 14% were issue/policy activists and 34% were involved in political campaigns. And these are not fly-by-night visitors; 40% visit the site at least once a day and 67% visit it several times a week. New Jersey State Senator Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex) calls PoliticsNJ.com "a daily fix for political junkies." Former Governor Jim Florio said, "PoliticsNJ.com quickly replaced the Statehouse as the rumor mill of choice for New Jersey's political establishment. We haven't had anything this exciting come along since they started printing the Fitzgerald's Manual -New Jersey's governmental 'bible.' The site is a must read...." According to Tom Wilson, Campaign Manager, Whitman for Governor, 1997, "PoliticsNJ has become a regular part of the political dialogue and is a must-read for anyone wishing to understand fully the political landscape in New Jersey." Other states also have similar forums. In Minnesota, political junkies can turn to Minnesota e-Democracy (http://www.e-democracy.org), a project launched by cyber-politics guru Steven Clift. They can also go to MN-Politics.com for more information and discussions. In Maryland, it is the Maryland Online Network (http://www.mdonline.net/messageboards/mdpolitics/). In Maine, policy discussions can be joined at As Maine Goes (http://www.asmainegoes.com/). North Carolina's forum has been up and running, but the Tar Heel State Online (http://www.tarheelstateonline.com/) is currently undergoing a major upgrade. Some of the state-based forums are more narrowly defined, focused on specific issues. In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Stewardship Network (http://www.wsn.org/) provides a forum for discussion of conservation and environmental issues. In Michigan, JumpStart Michigan (http://www.jumpstartmich.com/) is devoted to children's issues. It is only a matter of time before every state has one, or more of these forums. For organizations seeking to influence policy in one of these states, participation in these forums will become essential. Regular monitoring and response to opposing arguments is essential. A more proactive approach, initiating positive comments and encouraging support is also important. Placing the seeds of support before the criticisms begin will help decrease the impact of your opponents' arguments. Online Advocacy Tips: State-based Online Forums 1. Identify forums devoted to policy debate in the states where you need to influence policy. 2. Assign someone to monitor and comment on these forums. 3. Develop clear and effective message language for posting to these forums. 4. Encourage a broad range of supporters (employees, industry allies, etc.) to also participate in these forums. 5. Refer policy-makers and media to the forums so they can see the full scope of the debate. ^ ^ ^ ^ Steven L. Clift - W: http://www.publicus.net Minneapolis - - - E: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Minnesota - - - - - T: +1.612.822.8667 USA - - - - - - - ICQ: 13789183 *** Please send submissions to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** To subscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** *** Message body: SUB DO-WIRE *** *** To unsubscribe instead, write: UNSUB DO-WIRE *** *** Please forward this post to others and encourage *** *** them to subscribe to the free DO-WIRE service. ***
