Department of Veterans Affairs reaching out to vets via blogs and social media

But Friedman is working against a legacy of decades of distrust. Veterans regularly complain about having to file several appeals and wait years for their disability and medical benefits. Additionally, a 2007 department review found the hospital system severely overtaxed. "The VA is seen as this giant, evil bureaucracy in the sky," said Richard Allen Smith, who edits the VetVoice blog and is Friedman's friend.

Friedman knows this. "Veterans want to be engaged," he said. "They want a two-way conversation with us, to tell us what we can improve on."

He has begun to foster this discussion on the VA Facebook page, where he regularly responds to comments. And the department will start a blog by the end of the year.

None of it is enough for Larry Scott, editor of the Web site VA Watchdog. "What we have is new media and the same old message," he said. "It's all about telling the customer how great we are, not solving the problems."

Instead, he wants to see the department acknowledge mistakes and outline possible fixes.

"Very rarely do you see a VA official stand up and say, 'We have a major problem, and here's what we're doing to solve it,' " he said. "I think they could serve the veteran community a lot better that way."

C.J. Grisham, who blogs on A Soldier's Perspective, agreed. "The problem with any government-type blog is it's always gonna be viewed as an official word on things," he said.

But Friedman points to signs of progress. Last fall, the department failed to mail tuition reimbursements to thousands of veterans attending college on the GI Bill. In response, VA organized a conference with bloggers to find solutions.

"It was really successful," he said, adding that he would like to continue holding such forums.

It's one of many ways Friedman has tried to live up to the Obama administration's promise of a transparent, cooperative and open government. "I take it to heart," he said. "Even if we have some bad news, we're gonna try to address it. . . . You're not going to get any propaganda from us."

Amanda Erickson is a reporter for WhoRunsGov.com, a Washington Post Co. Web site.