Are you a member of Congress on Facebook and don't like being called a politician? Then maybe you should look into converting your current "politician" page to the new "government official" one. That's the suggestion coming out of the office of House Minority Leader John Boehner. In guidelines his staff is sending to the Republican Conference, Boehner and Facebook are introducing a new category, "government official," that draws a "clear line between" political pages -- such as PACs and campaigns -- with official member sites, explained Nick Schaper, Boehner's new media director. Outside advertising, such as those paid for by lobbying or advocacy groups, will be removed from government official pages but in-house advertising by Facebook will continue.
Adam Conner, an associate for public policy at Facebook, said the new designation will help members of Congress "represent their official duties separately from their political activities" and came out of discussions with both parties. Schaper emphasized that the guidelines would not be mandatory and members can choose to switch to the new category. "There are a number of different ways Facebook can be utilized, and we're not necessarily saying that there is one right way to do it," Schaper said. Facebook, Boehner's office, and the House Administration Committee have been working on the new category for several months. Even though Boehner's guidelines will only be sent to the GOP, all members are able to use the "government official" designation. -- Amy Harder
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