Though Mayor Emanuel opened the microphone to constituents at Monday night’s public budget hearing, it was not the first time the mayor surveyed the public—he has frequently used social media to conduct town halls and take comments. Twitter, Facebook and other social media have increasingly become a way for officials to connect with the public. But Eight Forty-Eight wondered if all the online chatter was actually creating accountabilty. Host Alison Cuddy spoke to Sarah Klaper of DePaul University’s College of Law; Klaper works on issues of government access and accountability. 

Music Button: Mike Reed’s Loose Assembly, “Day of the Dead”, from the album Last Year’s Ghost, (482 Music)