Congressional Oversight of Agency Public Communications: Implications of Agency New Media Use, March 14, 2012

摘要

This report intends to assist Congress in its oversight of executive branch agencies public communications. Here, public communications refers to agency communications that are directed to the public. Many, and perhaps most, federal agencies routinely communicate with the public. Agencies do so for many purposes, including informing the public of its rights and entitlements, and informing the public of the agency's activities. Agencies spent more than $900 million on contracts for advertising services in FY2010, a figure that does not include all agency communications expenditures. Congress frequently has investigated agency public communication activities. For example, in late February 2012 the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committees Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management began investigating 11 federal agencies public communications activities and expenditures.