It’s hard to believe that about sixty years ago in 1947, Harry Truman made the first-ever televised address to the nation from the White House. He was asking Americans to cut back on the amount of grain they used in order to help European nations. In 1947, television was a new commodity. Most people turned to radio for the news, and the number of people who owned television sets was only in the thousands. Now about 34% of households own a high definition television set.
As the 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama is using a new medium to reach out to the American people–the Internet. The Saturday radio addresses were initiated by President Reagan, and President-elect Obama is taking it to the next level by posting them on You Tube. Obama spokesperson, Jen Psaki, told the Washington Post “This is just one of many ways that he will communicate directly with the American people and make the White House and the political process more transparent.”
The weekly radio addresses will be placed on the transition website, Change.gov. Officials at Obama’s transition office say he will be frequently utilizing the Internet during his administration. From having question and answer sessions to interviews. Officials say the goal is to put a face on the government.
The problem with the weekly radio addresses is that people weren’t listening to them anymore. By putting the radio addresses on You Tube, Obama can attract a larger audience. With more than 700,000 views at You Tube, that’s a pretty good start.
Obama isn’t the only one who is making videos to be posted on chage. gov. Co-Chair of the Obama transitions team, Valerie Jarrett has also posted a clip updating viewers on the transition progress. She also talks about some of the major changes that have already occurred, such as Obama selecting Rahm Emanuel to be his Chief of Staff. Maybe he’ll be the next one to make a video clip for change.gov.
