Presidential New Media

Speaking of Barack Obama's YouTube Chats:



As tech savvy as the president-elect is, he is hardly the first head of state to use new media to communicate with the masses. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has used podcasts and viral video since 2006 to discuss policy issues in her country.



Russian President Dmitry Medvedev gets his no tie-wearing, metrosexual swag on in this video.



Even the King of Sound Bites himself, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is believed to be the first world leader to have a blog, which is posted in four languages but hasn't been updated in over a year.

One question: Will new media make politicians more transparent in the future? Well, it is still too early to see, as it is so far showing to be a mixed bag. Merkel at least answers questions submitted to her by the public in her vlogs. Whether "her people" are selective about what she will answer is another issue. Ahmadinejad's blog is full of "praiseful" comments, while Medevedev's blog takes no comment.

So much for freedom of speech.