Blog #5

One of the risks of engaging with a public audience in a media space is that consumers must give up data about themselves to corporations whose only interest is to monetize it. Another risk of engaging with a public audience in a particular medium is that one loses the direct, human connection. In addition, a public figure may make missteps and a future employer could trace that back. Social media do give consumers a sense of really feeling connected, even to people who are at further degrees of separation. Crowdsourcing is another benefit, as is political rallying (think Arab Spring–but something like this could turn south quickly without proper moderation). In essence, social media complicate things, but exposes strengths as well. 

In terms of addressing negative replies and feedback, you must prepare yourself for some degree of pushback or resistance to the expression of these values. As a public figure, you would need to harness the power of your individual expression and be unwavering and assertive in your beliefs and attitudes. 

Public leaders use social media with foresight and calculated risk-taking. They know that it takes a lifetime to make a reputation and an instant to break it. They have a line, a boundary, and they do not go past it. However, they have the courage to express their voices and their opinions, weighing the potential consequences very meticulously but never diverging from the character of their personal brand. 

Leadership is one benefit of being in the public eye. They leverage the courage to speak their minds to gather and grow a loyal audience. Having a reliable network for a public figure is important because people contact them immediately. Taking on high-profile new projects can “spread like wildfire,” which is a huge social media leverage tool.

When using an employer’s online tools, employees are mindful of when best to stop verbalizing thoughts and opinions, weighing the risks and benefits and finding out what is most important to the person using social media (Hirst 129). The perceived restrictions are a misalignment with one’s personal values and having to surrender them to the needs of the corporation. One benefit is that one could work in a multitude of fields that to which that particular employer belongs. Other benefits include being a veteran of the particular industry they’re voicing their opinions on, leveraging their solidified reputation with the demands of the employer. 

People in social media who broadcast content for an audience do indeed rely on reputable sources to generate this content for quote-worthy material. They build a reliable personalized learning network by dynamically interacting with their employers to vet their ideas and push out their brand.

Veteran storytellers minimize risk by making informed decision, and simply because of their status as veterans. They have a concrete reputation to build upon. As veterans, they know about to manage the collective response from their audience because they’ve had so much experience creating content. 

References:

Hirst, Martin. Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism. Taylor & Francis, 2018.

Miller. “Jody Vance—Media Voices.” YouTube, 6 Jun. 2021, hwww.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0AAccessed 22 Oct. 2021.