PS - being the media

From The Hill Times - "Gotcha on YouTube, buddy!"

For Ontario's Greens, the 2007 election campaign is not about "getting" media, it's "being" the media, according to campaign co-chair Jim Harris, former federal Green Party leader and past Ontario Green Party president.

"We are creating our own unique content, which goes out virally through our members, supporters, candidates and people who are interested in our party," he said about the Ontario Greens' GPO.ca site that supports blogging and a "Green TV" video section.

While Mr. Harris claimed his party was the only one in Ontario's electoral race leading a Web 2.0 campaign, the Greens do have an advantage over their 2.0 rivals, the PCs–notwithstanding their provincial leader's communications background as CEO of both Rogers Media and later Rogers Cable.

Ms. Dymond told The Hill Times that she and other Tory campaign workers read Joe Trippi's book, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, which explains how, as campaign manager, he used the internet in Howard Dean's 2004 U.S. presidential bid.

"We didn't just read his book–we had him up three times," said Mr. Harris.

Mr. Trippi's message: "You just don't put content on the web and leave it there forever. It's a dynamic interactive medium itself and when you enable the user to create content, it becomes something different."

Added Mr. Harris: "In the old-line parties, it was a couple of pollsters–some backroom boys–who decided what to do. But when you run a Trippi-like campaign, it's the party members–it's supporters who actually direct the campaign."

It also means the "old-line media" are less relevant too, he said, pointing to a recent Harris/Decima poll showing support for the Greens as high as 12 per cent (and just two percentage points below the NDP).

"Thirty-five per cent of all voters are considering voting Green, so how long can you afford to dis a third of your readership or viewership or listenership? It's at your own peril," said Mr. Harris.

There's lots of opportunity for party-members to get our message out.