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Social Media Takes Followers Inside The RNC

By Melony Roy

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Social Media was barely a blip on the new media radar screen when Republicans met at their last convention four years ago. How will it be used at the RNC this year?

The Republican National Convention is "opening the wall" so to speak to give followers across the country access to everything.

Steve Friess, senior technology reporter for Politico says, "One of the most important things they have is the YouTube channel (YouTube.com/GOPConvention). It was custom built by the Google folks who own YouTube to be the center of social media for the convention. They are calling their convention "the convention without walls," because they want to proclaim that people anywhere in the country can feel like they are a part of it, feel like they are there."

In addition to the custom YouTube page, a handful of social media reporters were hired to be on the floor at the convention updating the various platforms.

For behind the scenes coverage there will be Facebook booths, a Google media lounge, a digital center and a green room for online conversations through social media sites.

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