Trial and Error at the White House

The White House is taking advantage of social media tools to create platforms for citizens to engage with one another. Facebook really falls into allowing citizens to engage, said Erin Edgerton, senior social media strategist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who is on detail at the White House as a new media analyst. Other new media goals at the White House include amplifying the president's message by producing videos that include "real people [and] real stories," she said. They also look for people to participate by hosting live chats and using Google moderator in its Open for Questions feature where users vote on the question they want answered.