Sunlight Launches Congress In 30 Seconds Contest

$5000 Prize for Person Whose Video Best Imagines "What Does Your Congressman Do All Day?"

September 22, 2006

Contact: Gabriela Schneider 202-742-1520 ext 236

WASHINGTON, DC – Software similar to that used in the infamous Chevy Tahoe mix-and-match ad contest – where user-created ads turned into a public relations fiasco for Tahoe – is being modeled and put to use in the political sphere for the first time. The Sunlight Network, working with MSNC partners and UGEN media, is launching a tool that provides clips of public domain cartoons, golfers, an old man doing water jazzercise, and staff meetings, and audio clips of the Brandenburg concerto and creative-commons licensed funk, and asking people to write their own irreverent take on "what does Congress do all day?" The mix-and-match platform, which also includes serious imagery of Washington and Congress, allows any Internet user to select a number of videos, pictures, and music and enter their own text to create their own personal 30 second video, which they can email to anyone. Users of the Congress in 30 Seconds website (www.congressin30seconds.com) will be able to vote on their favorites, using three criteria: Enjoyment, Humor, and Effectiveness. The winner of the contest will be announced on November 3, and receive a $5,000 prize. The deadline for the contest is Oct 26, 2006. "Because Members of Congress are not required to make their schedules public, we're left to imagine what they do all day," said National Director Zephyr Teachout. "We're providing a platform to allow citizens to let their imaginations run wild. It's a fun and easy way for anyone to spread the message that our public servants should be more accountable as to how they spend their time." Last week, the Sunlight Network launched the "Punch Clock Campaign," which offers $680,000 in prize money to those who get Members of Congress, or qualified FEC challengers, to sign an agreement to make their daily Congressional schedules public. The "good will bounty" which will be paid out for signed agreements is $1000 for those who gain the signature of a sitting Member and $250 for a qualified candidate." In March, 2006, Chevrolet introduced a similar campaign on the web, allowing users to create their own commercials for the 2007 Chevy Tahoe. However, users often used the platform to create commercials slamming the truck, highlighting issues such as global warming. The Sunlight Network, a 501 c(4) affiliated with the Sunlight Foundation, was founded in 2006 to foster a more positive relationship between lawmakers and their constituents, using technology, transparency, and local communities.