Tweet Speak on the Bronx Political Street
By Nicole Bullard
With a hundred and forty characters per “tweet,” people worldwide post information regarding everything from useless babble to national news on Twitter. Bronx political figures are no exception.
With the constant change in how people gather information and the growing use of social networking, keeping up with the exchange in news is often crucial.
Despite the popular social networking site’s perks to promoting a political figure’s platform, it also comes with its dangers.
In light of Anthony Weiner scandal, for those in the spotlight, keeping tweets strictly politics related is even more essential.
Eliot Engel, Democratic Congressman serving Bronx, Rockland and Westchester, joined the Twitter trend in April of 2011. With his tweets reaching approximately 1,000 people, with “followers” growing daily, he tweets, on average, three times a day.
Engel makes clear his political platform and ideology through his tweets, while informing his followers of the ongoing changes in local politics while localizing national politics and how it will effect New York’s 17th Congressional District.
On Feb. 3, Engel posted “Voted no on #FAA Reauth [Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization] because it creates roadblocks for #unions to organize. Bad for workers. Bad for quiet communities. Bad for #NY17.”
Engel steers clear of posting anything other than his tweets concerning district and localized politics.
In the same vein, Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., tweets more on a local level while occasionally highlighting prominent national issues and encouraging political movement.
“It’s Time to Pass the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act,” Diaz Jr. posted on Jan. 6.
Aiming to keep Bronx residents informed, Diaz also tweeted, “Statement from Borough President Diaz RE: Police Shooting in East Bronx,” with a link leading to the actual press release.
Like many others, Diaz focuses purely on politics, not wavering from the reason he created the account. He merely uses it to reach out to his constituents.
In the more prominent spotlight, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, or casually referred to as “Mike Bloomberg” on Twitter, has been promoting his positions and keeping people of New York informed on this site for months. He addresses hot button issues that affect the people he serves.
For example, on Feb. 2, Bloomberg posted, “Join me in standing with #PlannedParenthood to protect and promote women’s health.”
Along with tweets on serious issues, Bloomberg incorporates a more relaxed tweet feed than others, such as his support of the New York Giants during Super Bowl, while still keeping it relevant and professional.
There is a difference between tweeting to make constituents view a political leader as just another person and crossing the line into too personal. Constant pressure on politicians keeps twitters professional no matter how big the spotlight.
With the constant change in how people gather information and the growing use of social networking, keeping up with the exchange in news is often crucial.
Despite the popular social networking site’s perks to promoting a political figure’s platform, it also comes with its dangers.
In light of Anthony Weiner scandal, for those in the spotlight, keeping tweets strictly politics related is even more essential.
Eliot Engel, Democratic Congressman serving Bronx, Rockland and Westchester, joined the Twitter trend in April of 2011. With his tweets reaching approximately 1,000 people, with “followers” growing daily, he tweets, on average, three times a day.
Engel makes clear his political platform and ideology through his tweets, while informing his followers of the ongoing changes in local politics while localizing national politics and how it will effect New York’s 17th Congressional District.
On Feb. 3, Engel posted “Voted no on #FAA Reauth [Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization] because it creates roadblocks for #unions to organize. Bad for workers. Bad for quiet communities. Bad for #NY17.”
Engel steers clear of posting anything other than his tweets concerning district and localized politics.
In the same vein, Bronx Borough President, Ruben Diaz Jr., tweets more on a local level while occasionally highlighting prominent national issues and encouraging political movement.
“It’s Time to Pass the Fair Wages for New Yorkers Act,” Diaz Jr. posted on Jan. 6.
Aiming to keep Bronx residents informed, Diaz also tweeted, “Statement from Borough President Diaz RE: Police Shooting in East Bronx,” with a link leading to the actual press release.
Like many others, Diaz focuses purely on politics, not wavering from the reason he created the account. He merely uses it to reach out to his constituents.
In the more prominent spotlight, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, or casually referred to as “Mike Bloomberg” on Twitter, has been promoting his positions and keeping people of New York informed on this site for months. He addresses hot button issues that affect the people he serves.
For example, on Feb. 2, Bloomberg posted, “Join me in standing with #PlannedParenthood to protect and promote women’s health.”
Along with tweets on serious issues, Bloomberg incorporates a more relaxed tweet feed than others, such as his support of the New York Giants during Super Bowl, while still keeping it relevant and professional.
There is a difference between tweeting to make constituents view a political leader as just another person and crossing the line into too personal. Constant pressure on politicians keeps twitters professional no matter how big the spotlight.