Want to friend the feds?

10 social media sites where you can interact with the U.S. government

The U.S. General Services Administration last week launched a government-wide YouTube channel to provide one central location for citizens to view video clips created by 25 federal agencies. The U.S. Government Channel -- which was viewed 82,000 times in its first week -- is the latest effort by the feds to embrace social media.

Martha Dorris, acting associate administrator for GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Communications, called the YouTube channel a "way for the public to be able to find all of the official U.S. government videos in one place."

Over the last year, GSA has signed legal agreements with Facebook, MySpace and seven other popular Web sites that allow individual agencies to interact directly with hundreds of millions of citizens. Many individual agencies also are engaged with Twitter, sending their news feeds and other official announcements over this real-time communications channel.

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The U.S. General Services Administration last week launched a government-wide YouTube channel to provide one central location for citizens to view video clips created by 25 federal agencies. The U.S. Government Channel -- which was viewed 82,000 times in its first week -- is the latest effort by the feds to embrace social media.

Martha Dorris, acting associate administrator for GSA's Office of Citizen Services and Communications, called the YouTube channel a "way for the public to be able to find all of the official U.S. government videos in one place."

Over the last year, GSA has signed legal agreements with Facebook, MySpace and seven other popular Web sites that allow individual agencies to interact directly with hundreds of millions of citizens. Many individual agencies also are engaged with Twitter, sending their news feeds and other official announcements over this real-time communications channel.

"We're taking our information to where the citizens go to get that information and not relying on the citizens coming to government Web sites all the time," Dorris says. "We're doing a lot of viral marketing with our Facebook page, our Twitter accounts as well as our YouTube channel."

Dorris says GSA hopes to sign similar agreements with iTunes and LinkedIn.

"The Obama Administration's objective of creating transparent, open and participatory government -- this technology really lends itself to that, whether we're sharing videos on YouTube and allowing the public to comment on them, or opening up public dialogue on certain issues," Dorris says. "The government needs to be providing services and information the way citizens want it."

Here's a list of the Web sites where you can interact with federal agencies:

1. YouTube

The U.S. government channel on YouTube features hundreds of videos created by individual agencies such as the White House, NASA and the federal Emergency Management Agency. You can find YouTube channels operated by individual agencies such as the Social Security Administration, or you can view videos by topic such as health and nutrition, or money and taxes. One video posted May 20 entitled "New Media Across Government" features Macon Phillips, White House director of new media, summarizing the federal government's new media efforts. You also can find Spanish language videos. "Creating short, compelling, entertaining videos that are going to resonate with users on YouTube -- that's an area where we see huge potential," says Sheila Campbell, manager of Web best practices at GSA.

2. Facebook

When the GSA signed a terms of service agreement with Facebook in April, it highlighted the Web site's 200 million active users. The Department of Veterans Affairs, the Environmental Protection Agency and NASA are now engaging with citizens on Facebook. The National Park Service has invited citizens to share their stories and photos from trips to U.S. national parks.  The State Department's Facebook page features a discussion board where citizens can comment on issues related to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.