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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014
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Does social media make a difference? BY JULIE MACLELLAN REPORTER jmaclellan@royalcityrecord.com
A
sk any candidate in this year’s civic election how to win votes, and the number 1 answer will likely be simple: Meet voters. Which is why you’ll find candidates out there doing what candidates have always done: knocking on doors, attending public meetings, shaking hands, putting signs on lawns. But you’ll also find them increasingly turning to new ways to “meet” people – ways that don’t need either big budgets or the ability to physically introduce yourself to tens of thousands of people. The new campaign trail is a virtual one: the web, and social media in particular, is rising in prominence on the civic scene this time out. But how important is it, really? Are Twitter, Facebook and their like simply bandwagons? Or are they truly important to those who want to serve on council, in the mayor’s office and on the school board? For Cort Ray Caldwell, who’s running for school board, the answer is simple: yes, it’s important. “Social media not only offers resources (and reach) to my indie campaign I couldn’t otherwise afford, but it also opens the door to a dialogue with a younger demographic (for example) who may feel as though their views are under-represented,” he pointed out on Facebook. Caldwell noted that one way of increasing voter turnout is to have voters feel engaged – and social media, used well, opens the door to doing just that. He notes that with Twitter, especially, many candidates tend to use it as a “broadcast” channel, but that doesn’t tend to be effective. Instead, he says, candidates should be adding value by proactively looking for feedback and providing input on areas of expertise. “When you engage with people in the community, providing value, real connections usually develop,” he said. “I see this as a sort of virtual doorstep, a new brand of retail politics.” Jeremy Perry, who’s also running for trustee, says it’s important to him to be present on social media because it shows he’s accessible and it gives people a place to ask him questions.
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Tweet me a vote: Social media is a bigger player in the civic election campaign this time out than it was in 2011. But are Twitter, Facebook and other forms of virtual communication critical to candidates, or just a frill? We asked New Westminster candidates on Facebook and Twitter and got mixed answers. “ I’ve had a few reach out to me to ask questions,” he tweeted. “It’s been great to be able to connect with people.” Also solidly on the social media trail is David Brett, who’s in the council race for the first time.
“Social media is not only important in my campaign, it’s critical,” he said on Facebook. “We live in a world overloaded with information, and attention is a scarce ◗Social media Page 8
Province wants more information on NWSS BY NIKI HOPE REPORTER
nhope@royalcityrecord.com
The provincial government is waiting for the findings of a report before it approves funding for a replacement New Westminster Secondary School. The detailed report, which will include
the scope of the project, the estimated budget of the project and potential issues, is an integral part of the process for getting a new school built, said Ben Green, a Ministry of Education public affairs officer. “It’s a matter of the district gathering some of this detailed information for the
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The ministry supports the project, Green said, but the current cost estimates – upwards of $100 million – provided by the district are double what it typically costs to replace a similar-sized secondary school. The report will help mitigate risks and lower the overall cost estimates the
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ministry so that we can move forward here,” Green said. “Ministry staff are still working very closely with district staff on this project, but there is work that needs to be done on the district level, as well to be submitted to the ministry so that they can take a detailed look at the project and move forward from there.”
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