Politics and Social Media
Explore the Future of Social Media and Political Campaigns
Presented by the Social Media Club Sacramento

Political candidates are increasingly using social media sites like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to complement their traditional methods of reaching voters and influential stakeholders.  With a major California election looming in November, political watchdog groups are calling for increased regulations and standards on the use of “new media” in campaigns. 

When done right, social media can be a powerful communication tool for campaigns, enabling candidates to reach their target audiences in new and compelling ways.  The potential for increased regulations on social media political campaigns represents a watershed moment with the potential for long term ramifications across social media platforms and freedom of speech.

Panelists:

Kim Alexander, President and Founder, The California Voter Foundation

Steve Maviglio, Principal, Forza Communications

Bryan Merica, President, ID Media and co-founder, Fox and Hounds Daily

Chandra Sharma, Director of Technology and New Media, Meridian Pacific, Inc

Seth Unger, Communications Director for the Assembly Republican Caucus

Torey Van Oot, Capitol Alert correspondent, Sacramento Bee

Agenda:

6:30 - 7:00 Check in, Socializing

7:00 - 8:30 Panel Discussion, Q&A (Ustream begins)

8:30 - 9:30 Afterparty (optional)

Continue the conversation at the SMCSac Afterparty at The Urban Hive directly following the program, from 8:30 to 9:30. Enjoy complimentary dim sum appetizers from Red Lotus Kitchen & Bar and soft drinks provided by The Sacramento Press.

Panelist Bios:

Kim Alexander is president of the California Voter Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization she re-founded in 1994. CVF advances the responsible use of technology in the democratic process, pioneering online voter education and campaign finance data, and transparency and auditability requirements for computerized voting systems. In 1999 CVF’s web site, www.calvoter.org, received the prestigious Webby Award. In 2004, Alexander received the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award for her work spearheading and nurturing the popular movement for integrity and transparency in modern elections. A 5^th generation Californian, Alexander was raised in Los Angeles, received her B.A. in political science and philosophy from UC Santa Barbara, and lives in Sacramento.

Steve Maviglio is the principal of Forza Communications, a Sacramento-based public affairs/campaign firm. Recently named him one of the most powerful staffers by Capitol Weekly, Maviglio has been working in political communications and campaigns for more than 25 years. He was formerly Deputy Chief of Staff for two history-making California Assembly Speakers, Karen Bass and Fabian Nunez, where he provided strategic communication and political advice to the Speaker and the Assembly Democratic Caucus. Maviglio also currently serves as spokesman for No on 23: Stop the Dirty Energy Proposition.

Bryan Merica founded ID Media in 2003. Over the past six years, as company president, Merica grew ID Media’s full-time team to eight associate consultants and built a list of top-tier clients that include leading political consultants, elected officials, candidates, ballot measure campaigns and political action committees in California, New York and Washington DC. In 2006, Merica and ID Media were awarded the American Association of Political Consultant’s Pollie award for ID Media’s pioneering work with targeted email communications for a statewide ballot initiative campaign. Merica is also co-founded  of Rumbll a social media management tool for PR and political professionals.

Chandra Sharma has an extensive background in the use of Web, Print and Video technology in the Political realm. He specializes in the development and implementation of technology and web infrastructure. Chandra has consulted on the use of technology in the Political arena for several candidate and public affairs campaigns, as well as a number of grassroots organizations throughout the country. He regularly serves as a featured speaker on issues pertaining to web/video media, press relations, fundraising and grassroots activism, and recently worked with Joel Fox to create Fox and Hounds Daily, one of California's premiere sources of political commentary.

Seth Unger has served as a press spokesman and media strategist in California for the last nine years, representing lawmakers, state agencies, political candidates, business associations, and campaign organizations.   He has been at the forefront of utilizing social media and emerging technology to achieve strategic objectives.  As Press Secretary at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Seth integrated social media including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Blogs into the agencies’ daily communications operation, helping to win the State Information Officers’ Council award for Best State Website in 2009.  Seth currently serves as Communications Director for the Assembly Republican Caucus.

Torey Van Oot is the chief correspondent for the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert blog.  Prior to moving to Sacramento, Torey worked in Sin City, where she covered local news and produced multimedia content for the Las Vegas Sun's award-winning Web site. She has written for print and online publications in New Hampshire, California and Washington, D.C., including Roll Call newspaper, CongressNow legislative wire service and WhoRunsGov, a political profile database launched by the Washington Post. A New England native, Torey moved to the West Coast to attend the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism, where she studied print journalism and political science. 

Hosted by Sacramento Social Media Club, “Politics and Social Media” is a free event.  This event will stream live on Ustream at www.ustream.tv/user/smc-sac starting at 7:00 pm.