How does a hip congressman get his constituents to care about wonky issues in Washington? For Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.), it came down to a series of “selfies.”
Duffy, a former “Real World Boston” contestant, released a video, “But first…#letmetakeaselfie,” which has more than 9,000 views in a few days after first premiering on the popular social media news site Mashable last week.
“I’m jumping on a trend to try to engage my younger constituents,” Duffy told Mashable of his video montage. “They need to know that a lot of what’s happening now will impact their futures. If taking a ‘selfie’ with the chair of the SEC, Steny Hoyer, or Alzheimer’s research advocates, gets their attention, then it’s worth it. Plus, it’s fun.”
It’s also one more reminder how even members of Congress are trying to keep pace with the changing media landscape—whether on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
The Washington Post released a report last week showing that congressional Republicans have amassed 7.2 million Twitter followers, while Democrats have 5.5 million.
>>> Read more: In the Twitter Wars, Republicans Win