If you’ve ever sent a tweet about Pfc. Bradley Manning you can safely assume someone working for the Army’s public affairs department took notice.
Manning, who is charged with being a source for WikiLeaks in 2010, had a hearing last month.
The public affairs department for the U.S. Army enlisted the help of Vocus, a public relations web tool that allows companies to monitor news and social media chatter by using keywords.
An Army Vocus report obtained by POLITICO says that most of the coverage of Manning is “negative,” however, “the majority of the coverage about the hearing remains balanced and factual.” The report found “1,045 social media conversations about the hearing.”
Manning is accused of releasing more than 700,000 classified government documents. It was recommended that Manning receive a court martial; that decision is expected to be announced early next week.
It’s no secret that public relations professionals utilize web tools to monitor what people are saying about their organizations. There are numerous services available to companies for tracking their social media programs: Vocus, Cision, Meltwater. Google launched a tool last summer for individuals who wonder what their social media profile might look like. In addition to typing your name into Google or signing-up for Google Analytics, now anyone can also sign-up for “Me on the Web” to receive alerts if their name is mentioned online.
Source : Mashable