Jason Townsend Online space communicator by day who craves good friends, food + wine by night

Jason Townsend Online
Speaking Engagements
"Social Media Tips from NASA" - Science‐Technology Activities and Resources Library Education Network

Social media can provide your library with a world of opportunity when it comes to promoting programs and disseminating information; yet, to many STEM professionals and library staff, social media is a daunting challenge. What kind of language should you use when creating a post? How do you find the best images and videos to […]

"Exploring NASA's Universe on Social Media" - Night Sky Network for Amateur Astronomy Clubs

Night Sky Network members joined Jason Townsend, NASA's Acting Social Media Manager, on Tuesday, October 17 as he shared how NASA gets their message out to the public through social media. There are many of us who stare at the stars each night & wonder about our place in the universe. We feel the need […]

"Communicating Science in the Clickbait Era" - AAAS/EurekaAlert PIO Seminar

Can Snapchat and memes convey serious science? Against the torrent of 10-second videos, animated gifs, listicles, and other "clickbaits," communicating complex scientific information can seem an insurmountable challenge. But the promise of untapped audiences and increased engagement is enticing journalists and public information officers alike to boldly explore new platforms like Snapchat and Facebook Live. […]

"#Government - Engaging the Citizen" - Government Executive's Digital Citizen Summit

What can government do for you? As government improves the delivery of its services, it must also ensure that citizens/customers understand the tools, information and services available to them. In this panel, we’ll discuss both traditional and new public outreach efforts that engage the public and are changing the perception of agencies or programs. Jason […]

"Beyond Interruption: How Social Media is Defining the New Era of PR" - DC PR Summit

Not long ago, successful public relations campaigns told the best story and were measured by “media hits”. But in today’s world, a brand can make a lot of noise without being heard, and tell the truth without being believed. The strongest indicators of success have shifted to engagement and interactions from influencers and customers who […]

"How to Cultivate Online Brand Ambassadors" - SXSW Interactive 2016

Astronauts! Peace Corps Volunteers! Diplomats! Learn how some of America's most recognized brands nurture their staff and audiences, and convert them into advocates for the brand, services, products, experiences and information. Federal agencies NASA, the Peace Corps and the State Department -- which are recognized and utilized by diverse swaths of the American public -- […]

"Houston, We Have a Hashtag: NASA's Evolution on Social Media" - Social Go-go

Please join Jason Townsend, NASA's Deputy Social Media Manager for an out of this world look at NASA's Evolution on Social Media in this interactive, 30-minute FREE webinar! NASA's mission is to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. To do that, thousands of people have been working around the world […]

"The Visual Communications and Infographics Summit for Corporate Communicators" - Ragan Conferences

100 hours of video uploaded to YouTube every minute. 2,460,000 pieces of content shared on Facebook each day. 216,000 photos posted to Instagram every sixty seconds. The power of visual communications cannot be denied! Attend this conference and learn how to best use visual communications to engage your community and employees; raise brand awareness and […]

" Social Media in Government: Making the most of modern communication technologies" - Potomac Forum

Significant resources (time and funds) are being spent by the Government on New Media. The way your Agency communicates – to the public, to international audiences, and perhaps most importantly with its own employees – is in the second  stage of a dramatic shift.  (The first stage was the acceptance that social media would be […]

"NASA and Kerbal Space Program: The Asteroid Mission In Real and Virtual Worlds" - SXSW Interactive 2014

NASA wanted to attract more interest to its Asteroid Redirect Mission and Kerbal Space Program, an indie space agency sim, was ecstatic bring this real-world mission into its virtual world. NASA scientists and KSP developers will swap stories and share details about how the mission in both the real and virtual worlds is going to […]

"Social Media And Organizational Change – How Social Media Become Part of Your Everyday Organizational Culture" - ALI Conferences

How can social media become part of your everyday organizational culture? Your team and their involvement is essential to the success, or failure, of your social media mission. How can you best leverage the players in your organization to maximize your social media usage? Learn more: http://www.aliconferences.com/conf/social_media_gov_nonprofit0913/day1.htm

"Using Social Media to Build Your Brand and Keep Your Workforce Strong" - Partnership for Public Service

Social technologies can help your agency attract and engage both prospective talent and current employees by meeting these individuals where they already are—online. Developing your agency's virtual presence is critical to building and managing your brand, recruiting the right people, and recognizing your existing employees. In today’s fiscal environment, effectively using social technologies can be […]

Canada 3.0 Conference

NASA presentation and workshop that shares with communicators best practices and proved success tactics to implementing and effectively using social media to rally public support, impact public perception of the relevance of your organization, and gather grassroots input to influence policy development. More information: http://canada30.ca/blog/ai1ec_event/jason-townsend-curiosity-rover-social-media-case-study/?instance_id=14620

"#SocialGov Summit 2013: Forwarding Citizen Experience With Social Data" - Social Media Week DC 2013

Science. Technology. Defense. Healthcare. Research. An inter-planetary robot sending tweets from Mars. For many, 2012 was the year government participation in social media became standard. In 2013, however, you’ll see ground-breaking applications of: APIs and new communication models between citizens and government social data for start-ups, entrepreneurs and small businesses predictive analysis, such as CDC’s use of […]

"Social Media – Inside & Out" - Adobe Digital Government Summit

Join over 500 senior level government and industry IT leaders at the 5th Annual Adobe Digital Government Assembly on Feb. 6 at the Ritz Carlton, Pentagon City. Hear from technology leaders, senior agency officials and industry pioneers as they discuss three core themes that will serve as the foundation for agencies moving forward: engage, transform […]

'Content PR Is King' - Bulldog Reporter's PR University

Why are marketers, including PR, spending over a quarter of their budgets on content marketing? Because it works! Consumers cite "interesting content" as a top-three reason they follow on social media, according to Content+. And the Custom Content Council reports that 61% are more likely to buy from companies that create and share custom content […]

"Get It Online" Lunch Discussion - National Press Club

Jason Townsend, deputy social media manager for NASA will headline the next installment of the "Get It Online" lunch discussion series at noon, Tuesday, Nov. 20, in the McClendon Room. The series brings experts in social media and digital communication to the National Press Club for a members-only lunch discussion. Each day, social media professionals […]

"Using Google+ in Government" - GSA's Digital Government University

Are you curious how Google+ can be used to reach a new audience for your agency or make online collaborations more effective? Do you wonder where to start with the tool and what does it offer that other platforms don't? Most importantly, do you want to know how you can make it a powerful part […]

Management of Change Conference - ACT/IAC

DISCUSSION ON SOCIAL MEDIA What can we learn/trust from Social media? How do you know how good the information is? How relevant it is to the question? How can the citizen be confident that it is credible government info? Or it is the government if reporting suspicious activity? How do we value and build confidence in the information? […]

"Really Cool (Social Media) Case Studies" - Social Media Club DC

There are lots of people in this world who love science and think planes, trains and airplanes are the coolest things ever. The people that win for super fans may in fact, after hearing about NASA Tweetup, be NASA fans. Through starting the NASA tweetup program, NASA has brought thousands of people into an all […]

About Me
Jason is an industry leader in communications with over 14 years of experience in strategic and innovative use of digital tools, social media messaging and website content. Now leading efforts in NASA's strategic communications, he's previously directed the efforts of and executed some of the largest Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat accounts across those platforms, working on projects that have earned Emmy awards, Shorty Awards for best use of social media and Webby Awards for best corporate use of social media and websites. He is currently a communications program manager at NASA where he is responsible for leading the planning, development and implementation of strategic communications efforts across the agency.
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Contact Me
Located just off H Street
Washington, D.C. 20002

[email protected]