A family member recently forwarded this clip of Jordan’s Queen Rania, which I think represents a fantastic use of new media technology (and a position of power).
In March of this year, Queen Rania launched her own YouTube channel, with the aim of “breaking down stereotypes about the Arab and Muslim worlds” and “bridging the East-West divide.” The site hosts videos on a range of topics including terrorism, human rights, Arab identity, and honor killings.
Millions of surfers have tuned in and, in response, YouTube honored her with the first-ever YouTube Visionary Award. Mayor Gavin Newsom of San Francisco presented the award on November 22, 2008, and today’s SF Chronicle reports that he will be using a recently launched YouTube channel of his own to present his State of the City.
While it’s not a new platform for politicians, and agendas will likely be mixed, I find it fascinating to watch the creative ways in which those in power ride the 2.0 wave.
