Latinos Early Adopters to Social Media

Latinos are early adopters to social media and are using the technology in fascinating ways. During my cross-country road trip with my dad last month I blogged about how my cousins living on the border town of Reynosa, MX / Hidalgo, TX, use Facebook and Twitter to avoid shootings and stay safe in the midst of a drug war.

I recently saw this great piece by Democratic Strategist Maria Cardona, in http://blog.latinovations.com/ on how Latinos are using various social media platforms to connect. This article originally appeared in LATINO Magazine

“Latinos and Social Media”

It’s hard not to speak of Latinos and social media in the same sentence these days. Perhaps the biggest story to come out of 2011 will be that the U.S. Latino population surpassed 50 million, but close behind that is the story of how social media is helping turn that raw number into empowerment for Latinos.

Recent studies show that Latinos outpace other demographic groups in the United States in the use of social networking sites, especially via their mobile devices and they’re not slowing down, for a number of reasons. In 2010, 87 % of English speaking Hispanics owned a cell phone compared to 80 percent of whites, according to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. The same study found that 18% percent of Hispanics online use Twitter compared to just 5% of whites—that might explain why I see a spike in Twitter followers every time I tweet in Spanish. And a Nielsen study also found that 62% of Hispanics online engage in social networking activities versus 38% of whites.

Why are Latinos such social mediaites? Because the power of social media is profound. Latinos are increasingly using social media because it has many functions and they are taking advantage of them more than ever to advance their position in American society. Social media is crucial for Latinos’ growth and prosperity in this country in all aspects, from staying connected with family and friends, to searching for jobs and growing their businesses, and for entertainment and civic engagement…

Read the full piece at http://www.latinomagazine.com/summer11/opinion/ultimo.htm

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Social Media Key To Spreading News About Bin Laden’s Death

For many the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden came through social media and text messages through their mobile devices. People then turned on their televisions, or logged on to a news media site for more detailed information. This latest event solidified that American have changed how they get their news, and twitter is key.

CNN reported “Bin Laden’s death sets Twitter record” stating that “During President Barack Obama’s address, Twitter users posted messages at an average rate of 3,440 tweets per second.” According to Twitter, at the peak of the online conversation users posted 5,106 tweets per second.

Wall Street Journal highlighted some of the internet conversation – “Reaction To Bin Laden Death Rolls Across the Web.” The messages posted via Twitter, Facebook and various social media outlets were celebratory in nature as Internet users welcomed the news of the death of the mastermind behind the September 11th attacks and al Qaeda.

Social media allows ordinary individuals to become citizen journalists, reporting on events as they happen, many times ahead of the traditional news outlets. As one of the first groups of people at Ground Zero I started sharing the events via social media.

The Wall Street Journal mentioned my foursquare check-in and tweet from Ground Zero as well as the internet use of  hundreds of others occurring that night:

“Using the location-based social network Foursquare, people checked in at Ground Zero in Manhattan and posted photos of the celebration taking place early Monday morning. “At #groundzero large crowd singing “God bless America” and chatting USA. Candles being lit,” wrote one Foursquare user, Republican consultant Bettina Inclan.

At the New York site, where the World Trade Center stood before the attacks, two people standing above the crowd held a large American flag as onlookers snapped photos and uploaded them to Twitter.”

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NYC Reacts to Death of Bin Laden – Pictures from Ground Zero

[SCROLL DOWN FOR PICTURES AND VIDEO]

Like many, I was shocked to hear the news of the death of Osama Bin Laden, the man behind the September 11th attacks on the U.S. Being in New York City made the news even more touching.

Within minutes, my boyfriend and I where making our way downtown to Ground Zero.

On social media, as people shared pieces of news, some wanted to know reactions from NYC. @TeriChristoph asked “How’s NYC reacting? Craziness in Times Square?” I tweeted what I could see as I walked through the streets of NYC on my way to my destination. The city was quite as New Yorkers were still learning the news late on Sunday night. I continued tweeting and Facebooking the images I saw throughout the night. (http://Twitter.com/BettinaInclan)

On the subway platform in route to Ground Zero I could hear a few people calling friends asking for updates as news was still breaking out. They couldn’t believe Osama Bin Laden was dead. It didn’t become real until President Obama gave his speech moments later.

A few hundred people had gathered at Ground Zero (PICTURE). Some came waiving American flags, some were lighting candles, most where cheering “USA” as fire trucks drove by honking in support. Shortly after the crowd erupted in song, singing the American National Anthem.  (MORE: WSJ: Reaction To Bin Laden Death Rolls Across the Web)

Standing by the emptiness, once occupied by two massive twin towers, was a bittersweet feeling. You could tell that everyone sharing in the moment felt the same way, filled with mixed emotions, knowing we were celebrating the end of a saga in American history in the same place it sadly started.

Throughout the night the crowds sang patriotic songs like “God Bless America,” and tributes to the city with “New York, New York.” Many chanted “USA, USA,” “Na na na na, Good Bye,” and “We Got Him.” A young man wearing a shirt saying “I’m Muslim” climbed on some materials and for a while lead the crowd in cheers as he waved a large American flag. It was a joyous eruption of celebration in a place marked by so much sadness. The people came from all walks of life, of all ages, of all faiths, and from all parts of the world, all united to celebrate the news. They came to celebrate being American.

Later in the night, some came with signs “Obama Got Osama”  and “Obama 1, Osama 0.” Two guys climbed up a light post with the home-made sign, leading the growing crowd, now a few thousand, with the chant “Obama Got Osama,” which later led in to “Yes we did.”

The most touching moment of the night came when the crowd observed a minute of silence, Thousands of people became silent as they honored the victims of September 11th. As we stood next to their final resting place, many raised their hands, some making the #1 sign with their fingers. (Twitpic as it happened from @JarrodAgen)

The moments after continued with songs, cheers, chants and with some people opening bottles of champagne and spraying the crowd.

It was a powerful experience being at Ground Zero. Once again, we were all Americans, we were all New Yorkers … Here are a few more picture in hopes you can share in what we saw and felt last night.

All in all, today is a good day for America!

MORE PICTURES AND VIDEOS AFTER THE JUMP 

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The life of a traveling press secretary

On my new job I travel. I travel a lot!… in the few weeks that I’ve been with the Steve Poizner for Governor campaign I’ve learned the importance of packing light. Yet, that rule doesn’t apply to my tech needs. Being the new media junkie that I am, I feel the need to document everything. My over sized purse looks like I ransacked Radio Shack, with enough electronics, tripods and laptops for an entire army of techno-geeks. While I might end up having back problems from the ridiculous amount of hardware stuffed in my purse, I usually love the end product.

Here is our team’s,  @TeamPoizner,  latest creation: http://twitvid.com/0443B

We first posted on twitvid and then the staff posted it on YouTube.  Thoughts?

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I’m a Purple Twitter Addict… What Are You?

Twitter World

One of my favorite bloggers/twitters @MelissaTweets tweeted a great photo about the realities of the twitter universe. What do you think?

View the picture or read more statistics about Twitter. Interesting highlights:

• Tuesdays are the most popular day for twitter
• 5% of users account for 75% of all twitter activity, and 10% of users account for 86%
• The cities with the biggest Twitter populations are New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, San Francisco, and Boston. Los Angeles is the fastest growing city on the list.

For more visit http://rohitbhargava.typepad.com/

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Obama REALLY, REALLY Loves New Media…REALLY

Today Accuracy in Media released a report detailing exactly how much President Barack Obama has allocated in New and Old Media in his new White House. The answer is A LOT. Using the White House annual salary report Accuracy In Media calculated the White House has 66 staffers involved in communications, with about 11-13 person dedicated to New Media. The Obama White House Communications team costs over $100,000 a week and about $5 million a year to get the “O” message out to a hopeful America.

From Accuracy In Media:

Although other staffers undoubtedly did work on the White House website and other Internet projects, Bush’s dedicated new media team appears to have consisted of two people-a specialty media director who earned $84,000 a year and a website assistant who earned $34,000.

By contrast, Obama has the 11 employees in the Office of Public Engagement and another nine aides with titles such as new media director, new media creative director, deputy director of video and e-mail content/design lead. Those nine earn nearly $700,000 a year combined.

Read more. Figures, I honestly think one of the Bush White Houses’ biggest mistakes was not being more aggressive with media and especially online media. Clearly Obama is trying to avoid that problem.

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Republican Women Network the Network

Yesterday I spoke at the Republican National Committee’s Women’s Interactive Network Summit. Joined by dear friends Cathrine Favazza and Dr. Mellisa Clouthier we discussed how women can use new media as a communications tool and to increase political engagement. We were invited by RNC’s Director of New Media Todd Herman. He was also our emcee extraordinaire creating an incredibly interactive conversation and even posting questions on twitter during the panel discussion. Here are some pictures of the event.

Above: A room full of beautiful and smart Republican women eager to learn and lead.

Above: Katie, Melissa and I getting ready to speak to a packed room on how easy it is to get on-line.

Above: Sharon Day the Secretary of the Republican National Committee introducing the panel.

MORE PICTURES AFTER THE JUMP

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Dana Perino Solution to Adulterous Politicos: “Elect More Women”

Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino chimed in on the Sanford Argentina scandal on The Corner: (Hat tip to Politco’s Mike Allen’s Playbook.)

While I am not able to explain, I do think I know the answer to all of this: Elect more women. No woman I know has the time for such trysts, nor do I know any who say the desire one. They’re too busy trying to keep all the plates spinning at home, at work, and at the gym to make sure none fall and break.

I love it….. I agree with Perino we need more women in politics. In fact she and I will both be speaking at the RNC’s Women’s Interactive Network Summit later today. The Network is “aimed at mobilizing women at the local level to be grassroots advocates for the Republican Party in advance of upcoming elections this fall and in 2010.” The event will bring together over 280 female leaders from across the nation. It is part of a larger commitment by RNC Chairman Michael Steele and Co-Chairman Jan Larimer to grow the GOP.

Currently women outnumber men in politics. Women have higher registration rates and since 1988 have had a higher rate of turn out at the polls. On average women account for 6% more of the popular vote than men.

Participants of the summit will hear about “candidate recruitment, use of social media as a political tool and effective political communication.”

Some other speakers include Kate O’Bierne, President of the National Review Institute, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA); Liz Cheney, former Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs; Dana Perino, former White House Press Secretary for George W. Bush; Linda DiVall, founder of American Viewpoint; and Kellyanne Conway, president of The Polling Company, Inc.

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Freedom for Iran! Viva Libertad en Iran! (UPDATE)

I am all about the GREEN, supporting Iran’s Green Revolution that is. Unless you have been hiding under a rock you’ve probably seen the amazing pictures and videos coming out Iran. It is inspiring to see people demanding democracy and freedom. It gives me hope for countries like Cuba and Venezuela.

Thousands of Iranians, most of them under 30, are protesting what they feel was the undemocratic election of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Wearing green, the color of opposition candidate Mousavi, many disgruntled Iranians have taken to the streets and on the Internet to organize and communicate.

Ahmadinejad, government officials and the clerics are running scared. The power of technology has been unparalleled. It is strengthening the opposition. No one has ever seen anything like this. Ahmadinejad has tried to block the Internet and phone service but Mousavi supporters continue to find ways to communicate. Over half a million are protesting today.

According to the Houstn Chronicle:

All week, Twitter avatars, Facebook mugshots, Web sites and blogs have been going green in solidarity with Iranians protesting the results of last week’s election, in which incumbent Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has claimed victory.

Many around the world are seeing the flexibility and power of social networking tools. They are vital for communication and organization. There is not doubt technology allows us to connect with people in new ways. We can not automatically replicate the results of Iran to other places in the world, but we are seeing the possibilities and they are endless. It gives me great hope that oppressed people everywhere will think of ways on how to use technology to their advantage.

I would lie if I wasn’t thinking of Cuba and Venezuela every time I see the Iranians on television. I dream of the day I will see thousands of Cubans with the power to freely walk on the streets demanding democracy. Currently they have the Women in White (Damas en Blanco). I doubt they are getting many images of what is happening in Iran. Yet in today’s society it is almost impossible to completely block news out, I think…

I am worried with questions. Will we see a Tienanmen Square in Iran? Will other dictators try to prevent the events in Iran from occurring in their countries and limit the use of the Internet and crack down even more? Already in Cuba castro has blocked average Cubans from using the Internet. (SEE UPDATE BELOW)

I can’t say I am 100% behind all of Mousavi’s policies but I do want to support any peoples who are fighting for freedom and democratic rule, so I am going green. Long live a Free Iran! Viva Iran Libre!

UPDATE: Reading Babalu Blog I saw a post by the eloquent and brave Cuban blogger Yoani. She writes about the situation in Iran and how it relates to Cuba. Reinforcing my initial reactions about the implications in the communist island. Please read her post: Taking Note.

Here is an excerpt:

What is happening in Iran and its dissemination through the Internet is a lesson for Cuban bloggers. The authoritarians of the court also must be taking note of what great dangers result from—in these events—Twitter, Facebook, and mobile phones. Seeing those young Iranians use all the technology to denounce the injustice, I notice everything that we lack to support those who maintain blogs from the island. The acid test of our incipient virtual community has not yet arrived, but maybe it will surprise us tomorrow… with the aggravation of low connectivity.

She mentions a great video on Iran, a nation of bloggers and ends her post saying:

On days like this I greatly regret not being able to be online; I feel like I’m choking having to wait to hear all the news. If there’s still time for me to extend my solidarity to the Iranian bloggers, then here is a post to tell them: “Today it’s you, tomorrow it could well be us.”

Long live a free Cuba! Viva Cuba Libre!!

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Telenovelas: Techonology and Politics Meets Hot Latinas

Poster for "Baila Conmigo" one of my favorite telenovelas growing up.

Most of America (or at least those who have taken Spanish) has heard of Telenovelas. They are best described as prime time Spanish-language soap operas. They are filled of stories of love, betrayal and power and have become an integral part of Latin American culture.

Recently telenovelas have been at the center of both politics and technology. Spanish-language stations are trying to keep up with a highly digital U.S. Hispanic market where more people are watching television shows on the Internet.

In 2008 campaigns including Obama for President effectively used the familiar format to spread their message. Now others are wondering how to copy them to attract the growing Latino electorate. Republican must learn how to harness these types of ideas / technology in order to get a more conservative message into U.S. Hispanic households. (See videos below)

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