All the Cool Kids

I'm not sure if Ezra Klein realizes how much interaction there is between two posts he published one after the other. In the first, he commented on the prestige of federal employment and retirement wave issues we've been kicking around here for a couple of years. Then, he says it's a good thing that government is in a position to compete with non-profit websites to see who can present information best.

I think part of the reason the federal government has a problem recruiting the most talented people is that a lot of college students, and a lot of mainstream reporters, don't know much about what government does. Ezra says "Smart college graduates interested in social justice go work for non-profits that push for better welfare benefits. They don't go work for the agencies that administer welfare benefits." But the idea that that's all government has to offer or does is hugely misleading. That's why events like the Service to America medals, or the Distinguished Presidential Rank Awards are so important. They tell great stories about the incredible, non-bureaucratic things federal employees are doing in federal jobs. But mainstream reporters don't go to those events, perhaps because they're not invited, perhaps because they're not looking for them. These awards ceremonies invariably include a plea to those of us in the audience who are reporters to do something, anything, to get those stories out there.

And the real problem isn't that awards ceremonies don't get enough coverage. It's that government agencies aren't always great about conveying information about the amazing things they do on a regular basis. Web presence is a part of that. So are aggressive, promotional, out-reach oriented press operations. The government needs to catch up online and everywhere else, because if it doesn't communicate, it won't get the young, talented people it needs to keep functioning.