White House uses LinkedIn for policy discussion

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The White House claims success in using its LinkedIn group to hold a members-only discussion on Wall Street reforms.

LinkedIn is a social media platform similar to Facebook that invites people to join, establish profiles and link to other members. Members can also join groups, which can hold discussions. Group leaders must approve members before they can participate in the discussions.

The White House is claiming success in using its LinkedIn social media group as a forum for a public policy discussion on reforming the financial services industry.

The Wall Street conversation has generated 296 comments from members of the White House's LinkedIn group in 12 days. The discussion is being led by Jen Psaki, deputy communications director at the White House and one of the group's three leaders.

“As usual, we’ve seen an interesting and insightful discussion here at LinkedIn, and we’re always grateful to get another snapshot of what the American people are thinking,” Psaki wrote in the LinkedIn Group discussion Aug. 6.


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The White House has issued an open invitation to join its 57,109-member LinkedIn group.

“To get in on the discussion next time, act fast and you could be lucky member number 57,110,” wrote Jesse Lee, online programs director at the White House, on the White House blog Aug. 6.

The White House's LinkedIn group has held several discussions since it was formed last year, including talks about health care reform.

The most recent discussion about Wall Street reform was open-ended, wide-ranging and occasionally negative. “This whole White House forum is a joke," one participant wrote. "They do not listen to our comments; they just cherry-pick for things they want to hear.”

But Lee described the LinkedIn group discussion as worthwhile and wrote, “We got a lot of good questions.”