Don’t be put off - the Corporate Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee is a good deal more interesting than it sounds. I attended today’s meeting of that committee to have an input on Item 7 (see previous post) but also found myself drawn to the final item on the agenda, which was Cornwall Council’s draft policy on the use of social media.

Social media - Facebook, Twitter, blogs and so on - may seem frivolous to some (although the chances are, if you’re reading this, you’re at least partially au fait with some of these different media forms) but businesses, government departments and local authorities are increasingly viewing these methods of communication as important ways to connect with their ‘customers’ and the world outside.

The Communications Department at Cornwall Council (sounds Stalinist but isn’t) have produced a good working document in this new draft policy which demonstrates a willingness to engage with those “hard to reach” groups who may not respond to some of the more traditional methods of staying in touch. I spent a large portion of the last four years banging on about this and I’m glad that the good people in the Comms Unit have been given the go-ahead to start things moving properly - the Council even has its own Twitter feed these days!

While I strongly welcome the steps the Council are taking, it’s important that local authorities don’t forget the value of traditional methods of communication as not everyone has the opportunity (or the will) to search the web for information. Nevertheless, the further Councils cast their net (no pun intended) the less remote they will hopefully become, and that has to be welcomed.