Transcript Document 7737600

ROSS FERGUSON
eDemocracy Programme Director, Hansard Society
University of Surrey/Wednesday 24 July, 2007
CITIZEN CALLING - OVERVIEW
• www.citizencalling.com
• Hansard Society (independent, nonpartisan charity)
• In partnership with Electoral Commission
and Home Affairs Select Committee
• August – October 2006
• Core user group of 16 – 24 year olds
• Committee inquiry into young people and
the criminal justice system
CITIZEN CALLING - CORE
1. How does the technology work?
2. Will it add to or detract from the select
committee’s inquiry?
3. Is the public interested in engaging
with the parliamentary process via
mobile phone?
CITIZEN CALLING – MOBILE UK
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60 million mobile phone handsets in the UK
Over 1 million text messages are sent in the
UK everyday, mostly by people in the 16 24 year old age group
By 2005, 94% of 16 – 24s had sent a text
message
79% of 18 -24 year olds have phones that
can generate, send and receive multimedia
content
CITIZEN CALLING – COMMITTEE
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At what stage of the inquiry should
Citizen Calling be applied?
How should audio, photo, text and
video messages be handled?
What was the expectation for
involvement from Members of the
Committee?
CITIZEN CALLING – QUESTIONS
1. What are your experiences of crime in your
area?
2. Are some groups of young people more
likely to be involved in crime than others?
3. Which factors lead young people to break
the law?
4. What can be done to discourage young
people from committing crime?
5. How far do the public's opinions about
young people and crime reflect reality?
CITIZEN CALLING – PROMOTION
1. Media strategy (national, local and
trade)
2. Advocacy campaign (educational,
training and community groups)
3. Social network sites (YouTube,
GoogleVideo, MySpace)
CITIZEN CALLING – USAGE
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101
10
5
887
1390
405
2
registrants
messages
comments
unique visitors
return visits
views on YouTube
YouTube video responses
CITIZEN CALLING – USER PROFILES
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34% were female and 66% were male
•
49% had been using the web for between 6 - 10 years
•
65% accessed the web from home
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54% claimed to have excellent internet literacy and skills
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48% of the sample had been using mobiles for between 6 - 10 years
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45% claimed to be uninterested in politics
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41% claimed to have no knowledge of politics
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39% said that they had never participated in any form previously
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49% could name their MP, 51% could not
CITIZEN CALLING – CONCLUSIONS
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Citizen Calling attracted young people who were ICT-literate nonactivists
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Good visibility of inquiry, low participation
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Low involvement of Committee affected take-up
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Technology was functional but cumbersome
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Contemporary mobile phones of limited use to parliamentary
inquiries
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More lead-in time and promotion required
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Greater use of existing social network sites
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Worthwhile benchmarking study
Ross Ferguson, eDemocracy Programme Director
Hansard Society
[email protected]
www.hansardsociety.org.uk