Fed Hopes Twitter and Online Videos Will Help its PR Problem
Ben Bernanke is hoping to get a little friendlier as the Federal Reserve dips its toe into Twitter and he personally hosts an online lecture series beginning today, but we have to wonder, outside of policy wonks, who's going to care?
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As Politico reports, Bernanke and his team started this social media strategy in an effort to be more transparent, but it also seems to be a way to push back against Republicans (mostly the GOP's possible nominees) who have painted Bernanke as a villain. "This outreach is to help as many people as possible, including the media, to understand that we’re doing our very best for the public," Bernanke told Politico. Politico's Josh Boak adds, "He wants to be more open about the work of the central bank that almost no one understands."
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So you can now follow @federalreserve (hey, it's verified!) for updates like balance sheets and termination of enforcement actions. Or you can tune in to Bernanke's "College Lecture Series" streaming at 12:45 p.m. EDT for him to explain, "The Origins and Mission of the Federal Reserve." Scintillating right? There's no doubt that Bernanke and his team are putting in the effort to explain what they do, but it remains to be seen if anyone cares enough to sit through the lectures and find out.
