Tweeting Scared: Congress’s Crisis of Communication

Congress is routinely lurching from one disaster to another, but the crisis that remains constant is the communication crisis - a failure of the technology and information dissemination that enable Congress to effectively communicate. This book considers how the staff and professionals that drive the daily operations of Congress have adapted to meet the rapid pace of news and information, meaning the logistics of daily engagement in Congress mirror that of a disaster response.

Russell explains how Congress has developed into a crisis communication operation, pairing interviews of current and former congressional communication professionals with congressional Twitter data to illustrate how digital media has fueled the very same power asymmetries that new media was expected to disrupt. Through interviews with current and former congressional communications staff and analysis of Twitter data, the book reveals how digital media - especially Twitter - has actually made old power dynamics worse, not better. Instead of leveling the playing field, the speed and visibility of social media have made it even harder for the average member of Congress to keep up, leaving them more dependent on resources they often don’t have - whether it’s for policy or just getting their message out. At the heart of the book is this idea: social media has cranked up the pace of political communication and triggered a full-blown crisis in how Congress communicates. It’s not just a pandemic-era problem - this crisis culture has been building for years. The constant rush to respond, explain, and go viral has overwhelmed lawmakers and their staff, who now have to act like full-time PR firms without the tools or time to do it well. Communications staff are stuck running a 24/7 rapid response shop, always bracing for the next online firestorm - but they’re also drowning in the day-to-day work without enough help to stay afloat.

Annelise Russell is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at the University of Kentucky.