By MICHAEL NOYES
MINNEAPOLIS – Montana is well represented at the fourth annual RightOnline conference intended to teach social media skills to conservative activists.
On Friday morning, two Montana radio hosts broadcasted their shows from the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis where the conference was being held. Scott Sales, a former Montana legislator and the state director for Americans for Prosperity, said social networking is becoming an increasingly important tool in the political arena.
“In a lot of ways it’s made people more accountable,” Sales said. “You can really know what your politicians are doing.”
Broadcaster Aaron Flint prepared to host his statewide radio show, Voices of Montana, from Minneapolis on Friday morning. As a broadcaster, he said the importance of using all the social media tools available is important.
“You’ve got to do it all anymore to reach people,” Flint said. “You’ve got to be engaging people in Twitter and Facebook and everything else.”

RightOnline Executive Director Erik Telford told Montana Watchdog that the event has grown each year, from just under 800 people the first year to more than 1,300 registered for this weekend.
At a time when people may be less inclined to listen to automated phone calls or read through mass mailings, Telford said social media will play an increasingly important role in upcoming elections.
“I think it’s going to be critical,” he said. Telford said he doesn’t listen to automated calls or open “junk mail” but, “if I get a message from a friend (via social media)…I’m going to listen to them.”
Radio host and Montana Tea Party activist Henry Kriegel broadcasted his program from Minneapolis on Friday morning as well. Kriegel said the conference is important for those who want to learn how to get their message across.
Kriegel said Tea Party activists have the right message but, “What we’ve got to improve is our skillset (in getting that message out.)”
RightOnline is held at the same time and in the same city as the Netroots Nation event, which is designed to give social media skills to left-of-center activists.
Flint said he would like to someday see a joint conference.
“We can walk into either convention room and talk to Montanans,” Flint said. “There’s a hunger from the left and right for more information, and the traditional media just isn’t cutting it.”