Marshall McLuhan famously said that the medium is the message, but with social-networking sites the opposite seems to be true.

Last night, at a MassINC forum examining the recession’s effect on public service, audience members and panelists got into a discussion about the use of social media. Everyone seemed to agree it was essential to the survival of a non-profit or state agency. There was talk of Twitter, Facebook, and You Tube; less talk of what, specifically, these sites had done for anyone beyond give them the ability to say they are on Facebook and Twitter and YouTube. Panelist Elizabeth Clay, of Gov. Deval Patrick’s office, said she thinks the governor has gotten more attention from Twitter than from Facebook (and yes, she says, he “sometimes” writes his own tweets).

I kind of enjoy the governor’s Tweets – whether they’re responding to a citizen comment (a recent one reads simply, “Absolutely no truth to that rumor”) or offering up an ordinary news bulletin (“First 2 cases of swine flu confirmed in MA. Both considered mild, full recoveries expected”).  It’s oddly soothing to imagine that all state business can be summed up, or dismissed, in 140 words. But interestingly, the governor’s homepage now seems designed more for the promotion of social media itself than of the administration, never mind of the state. The word “Twitter” dwarfs Patrick’s name. The YouTube icon is about three times as large as the lieutenant governor’s head. Largest of all is the word “Flickr,” which – perhaps intentionally – overshadows the ominous “Your State Budget” button nearby.  All the social-networking icons are more prominently placed than the old-fashioned terms like schools, jobs, and civic engagement.

Patrick’s office is providing some superb (and presumably free) advertising for these websites. Maybe my eyeballs work different from the average users, but I don’t come away with the message “cool, there are many ways of engaging with this governor” or “wow, this administration is mighty up-to-date!” I come away with one over-arching message, and it’s this: YouTube, Twitter, Flickr.