Congressman

Austin ScottRepresenting Georgia’s 8th District

BackgroundThis brief is centered on U.S. Representative Austin Scott who represents

Georgia’s eighth district. Rep. Scott is a Republican and sits on two House committees: Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs. The economies of the eighth district are heavily dependent on agriculture as well as two Air Force bases near the northern and southern borders of the district. The research completed to compile the brief involves search engines, investigating news outlets and review of current communications tactics being employed by the congressman’s team.

News Reports SummaryThe congressman is involved in both the Agriculture and Veterans’ Affairs

Committees in the House of Representatives, but Rep. Scott is not solely focused on happenings inside the Capitol. Rep. Scott also is involved in special interests of his party and is a co-chair on the Republican Study Committee’s Health Care Task Force. Currently this interest is taking the forefront in news that mentions the congressman directly.

Due to the recent health care reform that Rep. Scott co-sponsored, the congressman is receiving a lot of attention from political writers who focus on health as well as outlets that cover large, national pieces. The most recent articles that mention Rep. Scott are entitled “Rep. Austin Scott Introduces New Healthcare Reform,” “Rep. Scott unveils new health care reform plan” and “Scott Introduces Health Reform Bill.” The outlets are Peach Pundit, the Tifton Gazette and Valdosta Today.

Key ReportersBecause so much of the news circulating that references the congressman is

about health, reporters that focus on the topic include Lawton Sack of Peach Pundit and Paige Winfield Cunningham of the Washington Examiner. Because this health reform is such a large issue that affects the entire country, writers for larger outlets like Diana Stancy and Kelsey Harkness, both of The Daily Signal and Daniel Malloy from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, are quick to note the congressmen in their writings.

Competing and Dominant NarrativesCompeting narratives suggest that the Affordable Care Act is either just fine the

way that it is or that it should be tweaked but not repealed. Overall, the dominant narrative of the reporting is mostly informational regarding the legislation Rep. Scott has

co-sponsored. These articles do use a substantial amount of quotes that speak to the positives of the legislation in the real world.

Supporting and Dissenting QuotesSome supporting quotes concerning the congressman and his current platform

for newsworthiness include:

“The American Health Care Reform Act is a bold plan that will lower costs, expand access, encourage innovation and put patients back in the driver’s seat of their own health care decisions,” RSC Chairman Bill Flores (R-TX) said in a statement. “I commend my colleagues Rep. Roe and Rep. Scott on their hard work and leadership.”

“Before coming to Congress, I owned and operated a small insurance agency for 20 years, and I’ve seen firsthand how unfair policies and limited competition in the insurance market increases premiums, restricts access to care, and hurts American families,” said Rep. Austin Scott.

“The solutions to these problems are not found in more federal control of American’s health care; and back home in Georgia and across this nation, American citizens are suffering from the president’s broken promises under the unaffordable Obamacare law.” –Rep. Austin Scott

Dissenting quotes regarding the congressman, his work and the movement of proposed legislation include:

“The [Afffordable Care Act] is hardly a failure. … My view of the ACA now is that it has made a positive impact on the way we utilize, pay for, and view health insurance. We must continue to support this law and increase health insurance access in the state of Georgia.” –Rep. David Scott

Key Subject Matter ExpertsObviously Rep. Scott is the pinnacle of an expert in the daily goings-on and

opinions of himself. Quotes that are placed in stories relating to the congressman are typically straight from the congressman’s mouth. Relating to the specific health issue that is so prevalent for Rep. Scott, another heavily quoted source that deals directly with the congressman and cites him regularly is his colleague and co-sponsor, Rep. Phi Roe, M.D. Rep. Roe’s credibility as a doctor is beneficial to Rep. Scott’s believability and authority regarding expertise in health legislation. Another expert speaking about the congressman is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee, Rep. Bill Flores. As an authority figure in the organization Rep. Scott works so diligently for, positive reinforcement from Rep. Flores regarding his high level of trust and respect for Rep. Scott also stands to benefit Rep. Scott in the realm of health as well as other areas in which the congressman is involved.

Key ImageryA look at the photos associated with Rep. Scott shows that much of the key

imagery associated with the congressman shows him either in a professional photo or images taken from Rep. Scott performing his official duties. A few shots of the congressman’s family and a more candid image are good selections to humanize the congressman and mean that he is being associated with family values and approachability in some of the stories that he is being featured. The images support visually the messages the communications staff would like to relate the congressman to, illustrating his professionalism, capability and personality.

SEOEssentially each search engine had vastly different results that did include several

sites that the communications team would want included. The congressman’s home page was prevalent on many searches, some even displaying quick facts in a separate space as well as more detailed links within the site. However, the Facebook page that is the primary mode of communication with constituents was located several items down the list. The Yahoo results included sponsored ads that were either completely irrelevant to the congressman or antagonistic in nature. Another problematic issue to note is the entry of a former football player by the same name as the congressman. Confusion between names and a lessening of the congressman’s prevalence are both potential outcomes. It must be noted that because of the legal and ethical ramifications involved with an elected official, paid advertisements or promoted placement for congressional pages could be seen in poor taste.

Google:

Bing:

Yahoo:Ads at top of search results:

Search results below ads:

Social MediaThe platforms that Rep. Scott has an active presence on are Facebook and

Twitter. The congressman does not have a Vine, Instagram, Pinterest or Tumblr. There is interaction with constituents and voters that contact offices directly, but the social media is predominantly send only. As a whole, the congressman’s website is easy to navigate and gives plenty of opportunity for those interested to interact with the office either through email, comment boxes or phone calls. Additionally, polls sent to interested constituents give a chance for less verbose citizens to voice an opinion. An important voice to note is that of Christy Riggins who runs the Georgia-focused zPolitics blog. Riggins weighs in on many happenings related to the congressman and legislation

he is enacting. Like anything produced by a congressional office, the social media generated by Rep. Scott’s communications team works to find a balance between shareable and relevant information for constituents and legally sound text.

Proposed ActionsRep. Scott is doing well in the realm of communications overall. Naturally there is

always room to improve, and some opportunities to close gaps and enhance communications are below. Regarding the narratives that surround the congressman currently, the communications team should keep a close eye on what and how the press is reporting as the legislation moves along. A weak spot in communication is how the tweets typically are tied directly to the Facebook posts with very little differentiation; these platforms attract varied audiences and the content should reflect that. The Twitter has room to grow in terms of connecting with constituents and providing more easily digestible information. Much of the content fit for social media is text-driven without many visuals, the unused platforms are not of as much importance. The choice to create social media content that is interactive could leave a member of the communications team being sent to put out digital fires instigated by angry and sometimes anonymous accounts that would have to be worded consistently in a way to promote the congressman’s agenda and protect him from legal ramifications. Send only media on the larger platforms should be continued. The congressman does not have any major issues that are critical at the moment, but politics are volatile and careful choice of speech during interviews as well as many positive public relations efforts will ensure that Rep. Scott’s communication can smoothly improve.

Quotes taken from the following stories:

http://valdostatoday.com/2015/06/washington-scott-introduces-health-reform-bill/#sthash.brpwbUHc.dpuf

The Marietta Daily Journal - Congressmen take differing views on future of health care 

http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/rep-scott-unveils-new-health-care-reform-plan/article_3892e084-0afc-11e5-aafa-b3ec178c35ac.html