Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, has a new position in her office that does not yet have a recognizable acronym on Capitol Hill when the hires of LAs, LDs, COSs, and AAs, are discussed. Collins’s new media director, Lance Dutson, will be charged with oversight of online forums, blogs, increased use of the Web site, Web video initiatives, and user-generated content. "Our use of new media will take many forms, the most obvious of which will be an increase in the use of our Web site as a medium for two-way communication," Dutson said in an email.

"We plan to dramatically increase our use of Web video to keep constituents abreast of what is happening in Washington, and to use the medium to explain both the process and the reasoning behind the legislative work that is done on their behalf," he said. Web video will provide an efficient way for Collins to speak directly to Mainers and provides a venue for her to hear concerns of her constituents, he said. The office will also boost communication through email and RSS distribution and employ micro-targeting, hyper-local blogs and user-generated content.

"The explosion of the Internet’s impact on politics and public administration can’t be understated. In particular, the Internet has had an astounding effect on citizen engagement in the political process, and this proliferation of activism provides an exciting opportunity for public officials," Dutson said. "Web technology is narrowing a gap that has traditionally separated elected officials from their constituencies, and we are excited to expand our use of these technologies to better serve the people of Maine." Collins also plans to become more engaged in the online discussion space since blogs and online forums provide opportunities for debate on important issues.

Dutson is a former principal of Maine Coast Design/ Maine Coast Media, a Web design and search marketing firm located in Searsmont, Maine. He also served as director of Internet strategy for the campaign to re-elect Collins. He grew up in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., in Northern Virginia.
-- Winter Casey