Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Is So Good at Twitter She is Teaching Her Democratic Colleagues Just How to Use it

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is running a classThursday for her House Democratic colleagues on how to effectively use Twitter.

Ocasio-Cortex will co-host the training with Connecticut Representative Jim Himes, according to USA Today. The session will include "the most effective ways to engage constituents on Twitter and the importance of digital storytelling," a Wednesday communications notice read.

Read more: On social media, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez asks "where's Mitch?"

Ocasio-Cortez wields more than 2.4 million Twitter followers, and Himes has 77,000. On Instagram, Ocasio-Cortez has amassed a following of 1.8 million.

"Perks of being in the Democratic Caucus: I will be teaching a Twitter class tomorrow morning open to all members," Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Wednesday evening.

As President Donald Trump has proved, the platform can be a powerful tool for sharing news, generating easy coverage at no expense and speaking directly with supporters.

Ocasio-Cortez appears to be well aware of its power to connect. She posts regularly across social media and often generates headlines based on her flow of updates.

This week, for example, she used the hashtag #WheresMitch to make a point about searching for Senate leader Mitch McConnell in an attempt to end the government shutdown. In an earlier Twitter post, Ocasio-Cortez disarmed a troll with some endearing new dance moves. Last weekend, she slammed CBS News for a lack of diversity on a reporting team.

800,000 workers are missing their paychecks and we’re pushing to get them paid ASAP.

We’re here doing our job - the House has voted to reopen government whole or in part several times - so why can’t we find GOP Senators to ask them do theirs? #WheresMitch pic.twitter.com/FogCPg6ayZ

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 16, 2019

On Instagram, Ocasio-Cortez is known to live-stream her thoughts on major political issues. For better or worse, the popularity of casual updates seems to be catching on. Beto O'Rourke recently showed the world his dental hygiene. Elizabeth Warren was seen drinking beer.

According to CNN, today's Twitter session will also be attended by representatives from the California-based technology company. A note said training would "cover the difference between official and nonofficial accounts and what your office can/cannot post on each account." The message was sent this week by the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

Research suggests that Democratic Party politicians should be listening. Data reported by Axios last Sunday indicated Ocasio-Cortez generates more interactions than higher-profile figures and massive news organizations, including former president Barack Obama and The New York Times. She was lagging behind only one figure—Donald Trump, who still dominates the social network.

A Twitter spokesperson told Newsweek classes were also offered to House Republicans. A statement said: "We host trainings with congressional staff and Members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, to ensure legislators are able to leverage the power of Twitter to amplify their message and communicate directly with their constituents."

Author Antonio García Martínez recently wrote in Wired (as reported by Axios) that he considered Ocasio-Cortez to be a digital "marketing genius." He said: "In a world awash in irony and preening phoniness, she possesses the unique and valuable currency of authenticity: She is who she ran as, she'll be that same person in office, and it drives her political opponents crazy."

This article was updated to add comment from a Twitter spokesperson.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Jason Murdock is a staff reporter for Newsweek. 

Based in London, Murdock previously covered cybersecurity for the International Business Times UK ... Read more

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