Govt 2.0 Taskforce inspires ACMA hire

in brief The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) said that it had taken the advice of the Federal Government's 2.0 taskforce to heart by appointing former Sydney Morning Herald executive editor Tom Burton to spearhead a new Gov 2.0 and social media strategy.

Inspired by the findings of the taskforce looking into ways the government could use IT and social media to be more open, ACMA's strategy will utilise new media applications such as blogs, wikis, Twitter and Facebook to engage its users and provide access to government processes and information.

"I was particularly impressed by the recent report of the Government 2.0 Taskforce. It provides a comprehensive blueprint for the implementation of Gov 2.0 principles and practices. The Report has been internationally recognised for its holistic and considered approach to the use of new media tools to genuinely engage with users," ACMA chief Chris Chapman said in a statement today.

"For some time I have been conscious of the importance of using the many new applications to improve the ACMA's stakeholder engagement and external communications, both domestically and internationally," said Chapman, drawing importance to new media applications such as YouTube, Flickr and instant messaging in engaging ACMA's stakeholders.