The State Department keeps up its saavy on YouTube

We reported awhile back that the U.S. State Department launched a contest on YouTube, asking citizens around the world to submit videos answering the question, "What is Democracy?" This came from the office of public diplomacy, who realize all too well the power that the Internet can have to shape global perceptions of the United States.

Now, State's public affairs team is engaging citizens here at home directly through a series of "Briefing 2.0" sessions. Citizens across the country can submit questions for Sean McCormick, the State Department's spokesman, and he'll answer them in bi-weekly press conferences. Already one session into the project, McCormick seems to be enjoying the chance to engage with citizens directly.



The next session is on November 20th, and you can submit your questions as a reply video to the video below. We suggest the State Department bring more focus to these briefings by centering them on particular topics, a suggestion they've said they'll consider. As the Obama Administration brings new minds to the State Department next year, this idea will be a good one to keep.