In the case of politics, ignorance is not bliss.
For those who aren't comfortable with social media, their inaction could well translate to a loss of recognition among voters and ultimately a loss of votes.
Though it's unlikely that social media is yet a deciding factor at the municipal election level, it plays a part - and most certainly will become increasingly invaluable in future elections, particularly in a community like New Westminster where so many candidates run as independents without the organization of a larger slate.
Many incumbents and newcomers alike have little to no online presence, or brand new accounts that have barely any activity; others are making an effort, but seem late to the game or just not active enough to be making an impact; and some seem to be relying on name recognition alone.
We'd recommend the following folks brush up on their social media strategies before any future election campaigns:
Making an effort but lots of room for improvement:
John Ashdown, for council
David Noshad, for council
Chuck Puchmayr, for council
Lorrie Williams, for council
Casey Cook, for school trustee
Jim Goring, for school trustee
Lisa Graham, for school trustee
Brenda McEachern Keen, for school trustee
MaryAnn Mortensen, for school trustee
Susan Wandell, for council
Little visibility and hard to find:
James Bell, for council
Calvin Donnelly, for council
Gerry Liu, for council
Paul Mulangu, for council
Bob Osterman, for council
Gavin Palmer, for council
Harp Sihota, for council
James Janzen, for school trustee
James Pepa, for school trustee
Glen Richmond, for school trustee
Behind the scenes: See reporter Christina Myers' blog at www.royalcityrecord.com for more on our analysis.
Want to make a comment? If you think we have it all wrong, or you just want to share your opinion about social media use in the New Westminster election, visit Christina Myers' blog at www.royalcityrecord.com, or follow her on Twitter, @ChristinaMyersA.
