Obama YouTube Fireside Chats?

Obama plans to wield the web.

AP: "Just imagine what happens when a congressman comes back to his district and 500 people are lined up for his town hall meeting because they got an e-mail from Obama urging them to attend," said Thomas Gensemer, managing partner of Blue State Digital which designed Obama's campaign Web site and change.gov.

Gensemer said to be most effective, Obama needs to make clear that his Web outreach efforts aren't directed only at partisan Democrats.

"If you're looking to build a community as president, the net needs to be cast a little broader," Gensemer said. "If you want to bring Republicans along, you use the Web to say, 'Work with me. Help me cut through the partisan rancor.'"

Such direct online contact with voters could also present a challenge for reporters covering Obama, since the new president will in many ways be able to bypass traditional media while also taking advantage of it to reinforce his online messaging.

"He can do a half-hour YouTube address every Saturday, addressing millions," Trippi said. "The networks would never give the president that much television time each week, but the press is still going to have to cover what he says on YouTube."

Aides say the Obama team will staff a robust "new media" operation out of the White House and plans a complete overhaul of the White House Web site to make it more interactive and user-friendly. On the campaign trail, Obama promised to use the Internet to make his administration more open, such as offering a detailed look at what's going on in the White House on a given day or asking people to post comments on his legislative proposals.