[Nfbc-info] Stay in touch with your congress person with new app

Fri Jan 9 11:50:41 UTC 2015

It's now possible to share political views and connect with congressmen
through a smartphone app.

The app, called 

Podium,

is free and allows users to keep tabs on what's going on in Washington D.C.

The app resolves many issues that constituents face when seeking to connect
with their elected leaders, by leveraging the power of social media, email

and one-click calling to share opinions with elected officials and to garner
support across social media networks including Twitter and Facebook.

In addition to being a user-friendly communication platform, the app
provides a place to stay informed on the latest news surrounding what's
going on in

Washington. 

Click here to stay on top of important national issues and connect with 

Podium.

One of Podium's creators, Bo Schuerman, answered some questions about the
app.

How did the idea for Podium come about?

We've heard from many people in our communities that they are frustrated
with what their politicians are doing in Washington and want to better
understand

and influence the bills that are going to be voted upon.

In addition, Scripps has a long history of providing excellent coverage
around politics and we wanted to continue this tradition and provide a quick
and

easy way to help our users stay informed.

How is this different from contacting a congressman via their website?

Podium is much broader than a communication tool. The goal of Podium is to
help people understand what their politicians are doing in Washington. That

could be the upcoming bills they are voting on, upcoming hearings they will
be attending, and breaking news related to their congressmen and women.

In addition, we wanted to make it easy to share your opinion. Through
Podium, reach out to your politician and express your view.

Am I able to engage on the app and not have it show up on social media? What
if I want to voice my opinion to my congressman, but not tell my friends my

political views?

Of course. Sharing is only one part of the app and we've made it very clear
and easy to choose if you want to share on social media.  We will never
share

without your approval.

Outside of social media, the app provides ways to communicate directly with
your congressman including phone and email. 

Can congressmen create profiles, update constituents and communicate via
Podium?

No, right now we are focused on the user side and trying to help people stay
informed and we wanted to ensure the information is unbiased. In future
updates,

we may look for ways to provide tools for the politicians to communicate
directly.

Where does the information on Podium come from?

Podium brings in data from multiple sources. One of the main sources is the 

Sunlight Foundation,

a 501 nonpartisan nonprofit organization with a goal of increasing
transparency and accountability in the United States Congress, the executive
branch,

and in state and local governments. 

Additionally, we bring in news sources from across the web that are related
to your politicians.

Wait, you're a news company. Is there a media bias here?

No media bias. We source data from official document records and nonpartisan
organizations. Our goal is to help educate and inform by providing unbiased

information so that our users can make their own informed decisions.

Podium is available in the Apple store.

Updates to the app in months ahead will provide users with even more access,
including notifications of when bills are introduced for specific topics,

email login and the ability to "follow" specific topics. Also coming soon:
integration of the 

DecodeDC blog. 