Forbes interviews Ruhil on social media use in local government
November 21, 2019
Forbes interviewed Dr. Anirudh Ruhil, professor at Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, for a recent article, “Social Media And Local Government.”
There is really no reason why local government shouldn't embrace social media as much as possible.
"Unless local governments want to live in a parallel universe disconnected from the world most live in," said Anirudh Ruhil, professor at Ohio University's Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs.
"By some accounts two out of every three adults gets their news from social media," added Ruhil. "Almost everyone is on Twitter or Instagram or Facebook. So why would any entity use some other means of disseminating information, of connecting its people, maybe even gathering information?
Local governments can – if they don't already – send out information about breaking events from road closures to emergency information.
"They can promote events, and by virtue of how social media platforms extend the reach, you can be sure that those 10 likes will be seen by 100 more persons than if the post was never there to begin with," Ruhil explained.