Tricks of the Podcasting Masters

Government agencies can use podcasting in much the same way that NGOs can. Many governmental organizations and agencies exist to educate the populationpodcasting is just another way of getting that done.

Note

A couple of years ago, Mur sent an email to Jesse Helms (then-senator of North Carolina). His response started with how he was a down-to-earth man and didn't really understand these new technologies such as email. This did not instill a great sense of faith in Murshe knew more about a simple thing like email than a powerful Washington political figure!

Although the time-sensitive information the government puts out over radio and TV may not fit podcasting (Amber alerts or severe weather alerts), there are plenty of other announcement-type uses for podcasting. Many states are already doing a weekly podcast from the governor's office, putting his or her radio address into podcast form (see Figure 19.5). This not only gets the word out to more people (especially given that podcast listeners tend to shy away from radio), but also gives the government administration an air of being technologically savvy in an age when people may believe government agencies are behind the times.

Podcasting can help the government in little ways, such as reminding people to vote or volunteer or a notice that the currency is going to change physical appearance (again), or in large ways, such as giving the politicians direct access to the people's ears and allowing the people to know more about what's going on in the seats of power.