The US State Department unveiled a new look website on December 17 as it embraces social networking and other Web 2.0 tools in an exercise it called "21st Century statecraft."
"Smart power meets smart design," Katie Dowd, the State Department's "New Media Director," said in a post outlining the changes to State.gov on the State Department blog "DipNote," which is also undergoing a facelift.
"This redesigned website and the redesigned blog, DipNote, both aim to employ the practices of 21st Century statecraft; to educate, listen, learn and engage," Dowd said.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recorded a video message to accompany the revamp saying "we're working hard to make this website as accessible and useful as possible.
"No one person or country has a monopoly on good ideas. So I hope this website will be a forum for learning, discussion, and collaboration," Clinton said.
Speaking Wednesday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new State Department building, the secretary of state also touched on the new digital environment.
"Public diplomacy is changing so rapidly because of digital media," she said. "You need the tools to communicate constantly in an increasingly interconnected world with 24/7 news feeds, constantly updated blogs, and of course, viral video."
The new website provides front-page links to the State Department's official YouTube channel, Twitter feed, Facebook page and Flickr photo account.
The State Department said in a statement that the revamped State.gov incorporates improved "functionality and an updated design" and aims to "present the Department of State more transparently."
It is intended to "engage audiences in an ongoing dialogue with Secretary Clinton and others in the department on the foreign policy issues facing the country," it said.
The redesigned website also features a new layout and colour palette and "up-to-the-minute news on Secretary Clinton's efforts and travels, along with current priorities of the Department of State."
"Over the coming year, the Department of State will continue to build upon these features and develop new, more efficient systems for users," the State Department said.
President Barack Obama relied heavily on the Internet during his election campaign and his new media team has been pushing agencies across the government to incorporate Web 2.0 tools into their operations.