Navy Twitter Account Finalist in Shorty Awards

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy's official Twitter account, @USNavy, has been named one of six finalists in the "2010 Shorty Awards" among more than 250 nominations in the government category.

The five other government finalists include NASA, Gov. Corey Booker (Newark, New Jersey mayor), Virginia State Parks, the Marine Corps, and Israel Los Angeles.

Recognized as the "Oscars of Twitter," the second annual Shorty Awards has gained international notoriety. Twitter users vote by sending a 'tweet,' which is a post of 140 characters or fewer. Votes for finalists will be accepted from Feb. 1 - 5. Winners will be determined by a combination of the popular vote and by an evaluation by the members of the new Real-Time Academy of Short Form Arts & Sciences http://rtacademy.org/. An awards ceremony, complete with 140-character acceptance speeches, will be held in March in New York City.

Capt. Dave Werner, who was the commanding officer of the former Naval Media Center and led its merge into Defense Media Activity, launched @USNavy last year to further share the Navy's story in the emerging media network. It currently has more than 8,270 followers, made up chiefly of Sailors, veterans, family members and supporters. He's sent out more than 6,000 tweets, many including links to stories, images and content made available on Navy.mil.

"It's really about the work Sailors are doing around the globe - effectively sharing that it in Twitter is really the easy part," Werner said. "I think it's also an extension of the groundbreaking work by Navy in the social media space led by MCPON West, Naval Air Forces and others who are intelligently exploring, innovating and pushing the envelope. "

Those interested in learning about the Navy via Twitter can check out @USNavy by visiting https://twitter.com/USNavy.

Twitter users can vote by sending a tweet like this: I nominate @USNavy for a Shorty Award in #government because (reason). Voting closes out Feb.5.

Twitter users number in the tens of millions according to multiple estimates. Its to-the-point approach has become a favorite source for news, especially during breaking stories or crisis like the earthquake in Haiti. Its short,text feeds are also mobile friendly, making it popular with those on the go.

As more people turn to social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to understand and share the world around them, the Navy has continued to build its presence there.

Multiple ships responding to Haiti turned to social media to engage interested audiences on the Navy's efforts there. USS Carl Vinson, USS Bataan, USNS Comfort, USS Normandy and more have been effective in sharing stories, images and personal experiences in their relief efforts. In addition to gaining and engaging with thousands of new fans and followers, their efforts have been highlighted by national media including Washington Post and CNN.

For a complete list of recognized Navy social media sites, visit http://www.navy.mil/media/smd.asp.


Source: http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=51006