In almost 20 years in the digital politics and advocacy world, I’ve seen plenty…but I’ve never seen this. Yes it’s a press release, or so it claims, but the journalistic target appears to be a middle school student newspaper. To get what I mean, click through and check it out.
I’m all in favor of using pop culture to communicate a policy point to the public, as long as it’s somehow relevant (or at least clever). This one? Not so much — all it manages to do is trivialize a set of serious issues with real human consequences. Also, it demonstrates the key role of judgment in employing online technologies: just because you CAN string together a bunch of animated GIFs doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
Do note the email-signup popup window that appears when you arrive on the page, a good practice for list-building:
Does this mean that a House Committee is trying to build a grassroots list? Or is it intended more for journalists and bloggers?
Thanks to my brother Stratton for sending this one in, BTW, all the way from Starlight Custom Cycling Apparel in Roanoke, Virginia. Starlight: check ’em out if you’re in the market for fine bicycles, bicycle accessories and kickass-looking lycra. Stratton’s commentary? “A work of art, if the art is in the style of a 15 year old’s myspace page in 2005.” Agreed!
– cpd