The Monkey Shack

That governmental entities have used various "Web 2.0" elements isn't anything new. The whole world of social media began with bloggers using the new media as a voice for anti-war protests, political discourse. Reporters began using blogs to report the events of second Iraq war. Wikis helped coordinate volunteer disaster response for Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean tsunami. And the popular image-hosting service Flickr stepped into mainstream during the 2005 London underground terrorist attacks.

This past year we have even seen Obama use social media as a critical part of both his campaign and administration. Twitter was used by media professionals and citizens alike to report on the terrorist attacks in Mumbai and December's riots and protests in Greece.

But we are now seeing the next step in the evolution of how governments use the social web. As Israel launched a ground offensive in Gaza, its Consulate General in New York held a press conference on Twitter and the IDF launched a YouTube channel to provide footage from aerial and ground attacks. Bloggers and Twitter users on the Palestinian side are trying to influence the international community with dramatic reports from besieged Gaza.

Their reports and tweets have become increasingly important as actual ground footage has been hard to come by and news organizations have mostly been forced to report from the sidelines. Al Jazeera, the only news network with reporters in Gaza, has emerged as the main source of direct information from the region. Often its Twitter updates from a dedicated account and YouTube videos routinely precede those of other media organizations by several hours.

Social media provides information and content where there otherwise would be none. It provides a forum for discussion, dialogue, and even debate. That conversation takes place between consumers, as well as between consumers and brands (or in this case citizens and a government). It is 100% transparent and authentic, not filtered (see related story here). It helps to unite supporters of one cause and make a case when conversing with those supporting the opposition, or those who haven't yet made up their minds. Some marketers simply throw up a Facebook page and cheer their use of social media, yet we would do well to pay close attention to the true role (and power) social media has played in the Gaza conflict.