As many know on the net a US healthcare reform debate yesterday sparked shockwaves when they criticised our very own NHS. It was at yesterday afternoon I notice a flurry of NHS related tweets. Within a matter of hours the hashtag #welovetheNHS became a top trending topic on Twitter. The debate still continues on US blogs and now even Gordon Brown has joined the Twitter furore over the NHS.While there are many who are debating the topic this post focuses on how the debate seems to have erupted at an incredible rate on the internet.
An issue like this really demonstrates how quickly opinions can be formed online and how it is shaping a healthcare debate on both sides of the pond. The massive response online has lead to the debate being covered in the conventional media TV, Radio and National newspapers. If anyone has any doubts about how powerful social media can be they should put them to bed now.
While the battle still rages on multiple media channels, I feel it can only be a positive that so many people are taking part and actively contributing to an important political issue.
It also shows that the way people get news and engage in debate is changing. It seems like if you turn your head for one second you might miss something. Then again I suppose you always do a search and catch up pretty quickly! In Online PR and Social Media Strategies we always look for an 'engagement factor' when implementing a campaign and with this particular online debate you could safely say that engagement was off the chart. The potential for an online debate like this to inform people and create better politics is incredible.
