When Democracy Gets Personal

Guest Post:  Larry "Bud" Meyer, president of Meyer Communications LLC, chair, Communications Network

If you’re a political junkie (like I am), you may be familiar with the annual PdF (Personal Democracy Forum) conference, described as the largest and best-known annual gathering on the intersection of politics and technology.

I’m attending my first PdF as one of 20 Google Fellows. Convenor Andel Koester says there’s more than a bit of competition involved in the selection of the 20 fellows attending the conference. It’s good to see the Communications Network among the 20 eclectic individuals and organizations selected, including the co-creator of The Great Schlep.  

A while back I got an email saying: If you’re a political junkie and think you’re Google Fellow material, make the case. I cited: a) how I cofounded the Political Junkies at the Kennedy School 20 years ago, mostly for fun, but we managed to invite Tip O’Neill to the astonishment of the school; b) working on a lot of digital media projects as the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation’s chief communications strategist before retirement in February; and c) how I might bring some national perspective via my association as chair of the Communications Network.

Being a Google Fellow apparently means attending the conference free of charge (we’ll take it, thankyouverymuch), with the opportunity to meet over a meal with the other Fellows to exchange ideas, etc.

The PdF lineup of speakers taps some of the same brains we’ll be seeing and hearing this October at the Communications Network’s fall conference (i.e., Clay Shirky and Frank Rich). The issues and communications tactics to be discussed are at the forefront of much of our work in the digital age. Elizabeth Edwards, Craig Newmark, Jeff Jarvis, Stephen Clift and danah boyd (her spelling) are in the mix, too.

I’ll let you know how they do.

Got something you want me to ask ‘em?

Comments

[Kristen]

Congrats, Bud!

[Eric Henderson]

Way cool, Bud. I wonder what the general take on the trend of what "public" is these days, e.g. as one big mass that consumes tech/media just like a consumer packaged good and simply receives messages... or as a series of those classical publics of democracy, those larger and smaller groups that can make their voices heard by leaders and see change happen.

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[Andel Koester]

Congratulations again - we're excited to have you join us at the conference.