PRESS RELEASE DETAIL
For release: IMMEDIATELY
Release Date: 02/26/2016
Live Video Streaming Application Periscope Connects Citizens to Public Events in Real-Time
In line with an ongoing commitment to leveraging technology and digital tools to engage with citizens in innovative ways, Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden has recently begun working with the Department of Information Services to integrate platforms such as the live-streaming smartphone application Periscope into existing processes for transmitting real-time information and even coverage to interested residents or stakeholders.
Mayor Holden’s push to further utilize digital platforms like Periscope in support of daily government operations and enhanced citizen engagement follows an announcement by the Center for Digital Government in November 2015 recognizing Baton Rouge as a Top 10 Digital City among mid-sized cities.
“Over the past several years, my office has been hard at work identifying tools through which we can better engage citizens and give those who are interested in participating in the daily operations or planning efforts of our local City-Parish government the opportunity to do so,” said Mayor Holden. “Digital platforms such as Periscope provide citizens with a front-row seat for our public meetings and events and, moving forward, we are looking to expand how we use similar technologies to better engage Baton Rouge residents, businesses, and stakeholders in the environment that is most convenient for them.”
Recently, City-Parish staff have utilized Periscope to provide a live video stream for meetings such as a TramLinkBR public meeting held in late January and, just this week, a ribbon cutting event hosted by Mayor Holden commemorating the completion of the Green Light Plan’s Fairchild-Badley Improvements Project.
Next week, Mayor Holden will host two land-use planning public workshops for the TramLinkBR project that will be broadcast live on Periscope, and additional departments and agencies are already planning to use the platform to showcase additional opportunities for citizens to engage in similar planning efforts or public presentations.
To tune in, simply download the free Periscope application to your Apple or Android device and “follow” The City of Baton Rouge. From there, the platform will alert you in real-time when the City-Parish is live-streaming, along with a description of the meeting or event. Any videos that are streamed in real-time are also accessible for up to 24 hours on the app following the conclusion of the stream.