Heeding a call from GSA and OMB to leverage social media websites as part of its mission, DHS has started up a YouTube “channel” as part of the launch of its redesigned website.
The department said the steps are part of a wider effort to enhance web presence, increase transparency and provide accurate and timely information to the public.
“Social media plays an increasingly large role in our engagement with the public, especially in the event of an incident or disaster,” said DHS secretary Janet Napolitano. “These new tools will facilitate an open dialogue about the department’s security efforts across the nation and around the world.”
According to the department, the new site was reorganized around the secretary’s five primary responsibilities – counterterrorism, border security, immigration enforcement, disaster preparedness and response and departmental “unification” or cohesion.
The YouTube channel – which is a page on the YouTube website where DHS-uploaded videos are collected – is meant to highlight events, speeches and public service announcements, DHS said.
However, the channel could help the department control and disseminate its message by providing its own content that can complete with other content in a list of search results.
GSA announced in March that it negotiated agreements with YouTube and other social media websites to provide a legal basis for federal agencies to use them to help carry out their missions.
"We need to get official information out to sites where people are already visiting and encourage them to interact with their government," acting administrator Paul Prouty said in announcing the agreements.
