Facebook. Twitter. Mybarackobama.com. Text messaging. The president-elect used all of these digital tools to devastating effect in the 2008 election. How did he do it? What strategic lessons can we learn from Barack Obama’s high-tech campaign? How might he deploy this online army of millions to govern? And does President Obama’s historic rise to the White House also propel social networking into the mainstream?

The answers to these important questions have a profound impact on the very near future of our democracy, as well as how we organize, communicate and even do business in the digital age. On the eve of the Obama inauguration, the University of Washington’s Master of Communication in Digital Media program held a dynamic, engaging “UW Insight” conversation that sought to put this digital revolution in perspective.

Part 1 includes the Introduction to this event and a presentation by Prof. Lance Bennett, UW Political Science and Communication, on the digital tools employed during the election.

Parts 2 & 3 after the jump…

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It is true that President Obama gets to keep his Blackberry.

The historic presidency of Barack Obama earns another “first black” title as the President wins the debate of using his “blackberry” while President of the United States.  According to new White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, “The president has a BlackBerry through a compromise that allows him to stay in touch with senior staff and a small group of personal friends in a way that use will be limited and that the security is enhanced to ensure his ability to communicate.”

Many are concerned that President Obama’s usage of the Blackberry will be a security issue if one of his e-mail correspondents lost his or her device?  The other concern with the President having a mobile device is how secure it will be from hackers or foreign agencies?  After all the speculations of him becoming the first Blackberry-in-Chief, the rules have been changed and Obama will be issued a super secured Sectra edge phone.

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