The presidential inauguration is upon us, and even if you are not one of the over four million people planning to travel to the nation’s capital, you can still actively participate in the festivities. During the election season, candidates and especially the Obama campaign confirmed the power of emerging media (notably social media) to engage citizens (see our report, Emerging Media, Barack Obama, and the Future of Political Campaigns). Voters enthusiastically shared their experiences on election day and we can expect much more of the same on Tuesday. In true Obama style, new media platforms are being used to promote the inauguration events in unprecedented ways. We can all look forward to an interesting documentation of the events that you won’t get with official news coverage.
So if you didn’t receive a highly coveted invite, skip the crowds and join the festivities from your home town. Here’s how:
·   Read live blogs, view photos, and chat with fellow citizens at LinkLive
·   Get up to date information on the day’s events at the Presidential Inauguration Committee’s blog and Twitter account
·   Host or attend a neighborhood ball party
·   Share the moment with your Facebook friends with live streaming video thanks to CNN.com Live
·   Tweet the inauguration day with and for NPR using #inaug09 and if you’re road tripping to DC with #dctrip09
·   Explore real time reports from people traveling to and attending the events at this mapping mash-up at Navigating Washington
·   Gauge sentiment around the inaugural events with the “Speak Your Mind” mobile application
·   Text HISTORY to 56333 to get continuous mobile updates from the Obama team
·   Download Obama inauguration iPhone apps for planning tools and a count down to the big event
