Muck Rack has published a Q&A with Paul Brandus of the West Wing Report, where he talks about Twitter, getting a White House press pass and the inspiration behind WWR.
When did you start using Twitter?
I have three Twitter accounts: @WestWingReport, which I launched in the spring of 2009, is the better known brand and the one that I have focused on the most. But I also have @FedEnergyNews and @GreenEnergyBrf (short for Brief), the latter of which I started around the same time. To the best of my knowledge, I am the only member of the White House press corps who focuses on energy issues. I intend to begin building up these brands in the weeks and months ahead.
And when did you get White House accreditation?
I got my hard pass from the Secret Service in 2009.
Was there a single event that was the inspiration behind WWR?
No single event, just the realization that Twitter is a great platform for news consumers who are busier than ever. They consume information quicker – in what I call “nuggets” – that must be direct and to the point. Twitter is a perfect vehicle for this, and you’d be surprised at how much you can say in 140 characters. Ironically, Twitter more closely resembles one of the older forms of media – all-news radio – than anything else. No time for BS – just deliver the information quickly and get on with it.
Because I work alone, I can be more nimble and react faster than cable TV, which relies on a team of people to deliver the product to the customer. It’s a more cumbersome production process. I also use the brand name – West Wing Report – as opposed to my name. A good brand name – credible, authoritative, reliable – adds value.
On an average day roughly how many Tweets do you send out?
On an average day perhaps 50. On an unusual day, such as the bin Laden raid, 100 or so. This is interspersed with a steady stream of radio and TV hits with stations around the country; it can get busy!