{"id":4877,"date":"2020-04-22T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spot-on.com\/?p=4877"},"modified":"2020-04-22T04:00:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T04:00:00","slug":"notes-on-the-field-from-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spot-on.com\/2020\/04\/22\/notes-on-the-field-from-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Notes On The Field From Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
It took a pandemic to completely destroy the false perception that digital events or online behavior was somehow distinct from other day-to-day activity. No longer can a campaign say that ‘digital’ is different from mail, telephone calling or television.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Increasing use of online tools – for doctors’ visits, business meetings and calls with friends and relatives – means what were once novelties are now somewhat reliable consumer services<\/a>. These devices have been in our lives for some time but staying at home to work is just driving that, um, home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first evidence of this is the popularity of telephone town halls and Zoom<\/a> meetings. Online is being used for lawmakers’ formal meetings as well as for campaign outreach. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The increased integration of digital tools for campaigns and voters should come with at least one warning: the “free” use of these tools means they’re less secure. That’s already provided some dramatic lessons about online privacy – for campaigns and for voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking to the summer when these tools will still be needed, it’s important to remember that intense crisis-driven interest won’t last. And door-to-door field work will be more restrained so the need to reach residents – not just voters, everyone in a community – will be a more necessary compliment to online gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Happily, interest in local media is surging<\/a>. The chart below shows the dramatic increase in audiences across all news sites. This trend is likely to continue, pounding home to news outlets the value – maybe even the superior value<\/a> – of their websites over their printed product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n