Ages ago I wrote about how social media won Obama the US election. It was a lesson in engagement and propaganda (but mostly engagement). I wondered if, and how, Obama was going to keep it up when he won the Presidency and almost a year later I think the peeps in control of communications (is that an oxymoron these days?) are doing a splendid job of using social media to give the public an insight into Obama’s White House. Take a look at some of these photos from The Official White House Flickr Photostream and you’ll see what I mean. They’re candid, and brilliant. I particularly like how they released a series of photos of Obama and Teddy Kennedy when the late senator died. It was timely and touching.

President Barack Obama and Sen. Ted Kennedy walk down the South Lawn sidewalk at the White House April 21, 2009.

Local fishing guide Dan Vermillion reacts as President Barack Obama almost hooks a trout on the East Gallatin River near Belgrade, Mont., on Aug. 14, 2009.

President Barack Obama hugs Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient actor Sidney Poitier during the award ceremony

President Barack Obama’s daughter Sasha hides behind the sofa as she sneaks up on him at the end of the day in the Oval Office

President Barack Obama presents cupcakes with a candle to Hearst White House columnist Helen Thomas in honor of her birthday in the James Brady Briefing Room, on Aug. 4, 2009. Thomas, who turned 89, shares the same birthday as the President, who turned 48.

The Obama family dog, Bo

President Barack Obama meets with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in the Oval Office of the White House

My last post of last year was about the Israeli Military’s use of YouTube as a propoganda tool in their current war on Hamas. Given that it was new years eve it slipped under the radar a little, but the gist of it was:

“Allowing the world to see ‘Hamas members’ loading ‘rockets’ onto the back of a ute from the sights of an Israeli helicopter gunship is a compelling bit of propoganda. Of course, they won’t show you the attacks that miss their target (stand by for the Hamas channel, coming soon) and you have to treat each video in context as a biased historical document, but it’s a sign of the times that the Israeli military are using social media to give credence to their cause. They need to be careful though, they’re not allowing comments on their videos, and like any corporation who tries to control the dialogue, their message is likely to backfire on them. It won’t be long before Palestinians start using social media to show their side of the story.”

Well, as predicted, it didn’t take long at all before Palutube emerged - Hamas’s own dedicated video channel. It’s all written and presented in Arabic, but you’ll get the idea. Key theme: “The Zionist Holocaust against The Gaza Children of 2009.”

Using the media as a propoganda tool is nothing new of course, but it’s interesting to see a social media channel like YouTube being used in this very real, very relevant way. Watch it. It’s a hell of a lot more important than dancing cats. Yes, it’s propoganda, yes it’s biased, but it’s an insight into the lives of the people living on the Gaza strip you won’t get on CNN, from the Israelis, or anywhere else, but a social media channel.

Miltary propoganda is almost always executed well (pardon the pun).

The Bolsheviks had some great artists working for them.

Uncle Sam is an icon of Course:

Even Volkswagen, one of the most-admired advertisers in history got its start in NAZI propaganda:

And us Aussies were pretty handy at the poster too, although why would you want to go and fight in a trench with all these hotties waiting at home:

Fitting then, that the Israeli military have done a pretty good job putting together their YouTube channel. You need to be over 18 and logged in to view the content, but once you’re in, they present a pretty good case for what they’re up to. Allowing the world to see ‘Hamas members’ loading ‘rockets’ onto the back of a ute from the sights of an Israeli helicopter gunship is a compelling bit of propoganda. Of course, they won’t show you the attacks that miss their target (stand by for the Hamas channel, coming soon) and you have to treat each video in context as a biased historical document, but it’s a sign of the times that the Israeli military are using social media to give credence to their cause. They need to be careful though, they’re not allowing comments on their videos, and like any corporation who tries to control the dialogue, their message is likely to backfire on them. It won’t be long before Palestinians start using social media to show their side of the story. Propganda can backfire badly even when you think you’re in control - throw your message open to the world and who knows what will happen.