Todd Herman, former Microsoft and MSNBC.com employee and streaming media expert, has been named the Director of New Media for the Republican National Committee. Herman founded and ran SpinSpotter, a startup that provides tools to detect spin in news stories.
Here’s a snippet of Herman’s bio from SpinSpotter’s website:
Todd wrote the initial strategy and business plan for MSN Video and brought over 100 traditional TV brands into Internet video. AdAge Magazine named him “the media guy” at Microsoft/MSN. Before that, he served as co-founder/CEO of theDial, an angel and VC-backed Internet radio pioneer acquired by Loudeye. theDial was the first to welcome Microsoft, Sears, and H&R Block to Internet radio.
Unsurprisingly, Herman said his political affiliation leaned conservative and he’s also made political contributions to the Electronic Freedom Foundation, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the American Center for Law and Justice. The RNC has been criticized recently for lacking a viable technology platform and initiative after the Democratic Party and the Obama campaign launched a comprehensive and innovative web 2.0 plan during the election cycle.
In this video, Herman speaks about the importance of non-media organizations to incorporate online video:
Herman wrote about the new position on his blog here.