Municipalist

Cook County says no to blogs, yes to dead-tree publishing

The Chicago Tribune tells the tale:

Tired of getting "pummeled by the newspapers every day," Cook County Board president Todd Stroger's administration has decided to counter with a new magazine overseen by county officials. Publisher/editor Theresa Tracy said Cook County magazine would be "independently published" and a "credible, compelling and valuable resource" for county residents.

The magazine was published, but will not be distributed. The official reason is too many errors. But you never know what to believe in Cook County. Blogs are built for speed, they work great for sparring with news media, and I can even spell-check before I publish! Amazing.

E-government vs. Web 2.0

Following up yesterday's post: Here is a list of "America's top digital county governments." We wonder though: Why is there ZERO direct reference here to Web 2.0? And when or if will that shift occur for government?

Center for Digital Government gives out plenty of awards to governments, it turns out. Here is the Washington Post on the selection of Loudoun County, Virginia as the top county in its population class.

Way to go, Ohio

How many county planning commissions do you know that publish a blog?

The Cuyahoga County, Ohio Planning Commission's blog is the first Municipalist has found. It is a fast read. Lots of links. Very little analysis or opinon. Folks: Try adding some analysis and opinion. But we like it. Lots of categories for individual area municipalities or topics such as land use or environment. Great way for these communities to find out more about important local issues directly from the horse's mouth.

Q & A: Mike Knapp, Montgomery County, Maryland county council

Mike Knapp is president of the Montgomery County, Maryland county council. He began his blog just a few weeks ago. And his blog has already gotten some mainstream media attention. But he had been making use of an email newsletter already, as he explained in a recent Q & A with Municipalist:

What were you thinking!? Isn’t blogging just for those on the OUTSIDE of government? Let’s hope not! I think it’s yet another useful tool for communication, and it’s very ... democratic, in the sense that anyone can see it. It’s not a targeted mailing. It’s fair game for anyone to look at, so you’d better be as forthright – and as human – as you can. Readers are smart, and they’re going to know if you’re trying to pull a fast one on them.

I’m already using an online newsletter, The Open Mike, but I’m always trying to come up with other ways to reach out to county residents in a manner that’s as unobtrusive as possible. No one likes mass mailings -- so I stay away from that -- and while I try to do as much radio or tv as I can to let people know what I’m up to and find out what people are thinking, it’s still difficult to let people know what they’re government is doing. A blog is just another step in keeping the lines of communication open.