The State Department officially joined Instagram on Monday—but don’t expect many photos of cats or of Secretary John Kerry’s food.
In a press release, the State Department said it will use the Instagram account to showcase behind-the-scenes images of Kerry’s travels, as well as the work the department does around the world. “These social media accounts serve as a conduit for the U.S. Department of State to inform and engage publics around the world on foreign policy issues,” the statement said.
“Finally, the State Department is on Instagram, and we hope you’ll follow us around the world,” Kerry said in the account’s inaugural video post.
The new Instagram feed is part of the State Department’s wide-ranging effort to reach out to the public using social media. The agency maintains an active presence on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Google+, and Tumblr.
The announcement comes on the same day that White House Director of New Media Macon Phillips transitioned to a new position within the State Department. as the head of its Bureau of International Information Programs.
The State Deptartment is not the only U.S. federal executive department with an Instagram presence. The Interior Department, which uses the photo-sharing network to post images of nature, joined the photo-sharing network in June 2012.
Traci Lee