Social mediation: Politicians bypass press, control message

North Dakota's new governor delivered his first extensive remarks on the contentious Dakota Access oil pipeline in a Facebook video that spared him having to answer questions from reporters.

The setup Thursday allowed Republican Gov. Doug Burgum to convey his thoughts unfiltered and unchallenged by the press.

It's a strategy that's been used by more tech-savvy states and becoming increasingly popular among new-to-politics officeholders. President-elect Donald Trump has needed only Twitter to share his thoughts widely.

Burgum's video, Trump's tweets and Illinois Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner's Facebook Live events illustrate how politicians to use social media platforms to announce or react to events in a controlled setting and bypass any questions from media.