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Social media and broadcasting has changed drastically over the last 10-15 years and being in the public eye today means you have a much larger audience. After watching Jessieās interview with Jody Vance, there are some obvious benefits and risk associated with engaging with a public audience in a media space. When a person becomes a public figure or a person in a position of trust, I think it is very important that they know who they are and that they are committed to remaining true to themselves. When you are able to do this, Vance says, it is easy āto sell your own brandā. We can not argue the benefits that social media has provided people, it provides an opportunity to connect with each other and interact with each other on a global scale. However, it is important as media consumers, that we remember that media is created by individuals who make conscious and unconscious choices about what to include, what to leave out and how to present what is included. These decisions are based on their own point of view, which has been shaped by their opinions, assumptions and biases, as well as their experiences. Society instinctively views media sources as objective representations of reality and because of this, Vance reminds us that there is even more pressure on people in the media because what they say and do will have a much bigger impact on the public. Every piece of information that a public figure shares can affect their reputation and be crucial to gain credibility. This is another reason why information that is shared needs to be accurate and real. The art of public relations, and the crucial role it plays in relaying information to the public eye resides on the ability to not just tell a story, but communicate a message that will leave a mark on whomever you are telling it to. When considering what you want your key messages to be, the first task is to make sure they are believable, credible, and justified. For your audience to trust and become influenced by whatever it is you are communicating to them, your message need to be supported by evidence, and delivered with concise and engaging language. From a public figure perspective, social media has provided anyone and everyone the opportunity to evaluate what you say. Vance believes that āeven though social media complicates things but it can also be used to expose your strengthsā. You can connect with people who could benefit your career or give you insights on things you agree with or insights that lead you to change your view on the world. These experiences may help you to gain credibility in the media industry. Vance shared that her reputation is built on what she has done in the media and how she has represented herself. This is a reflection of the benefit of growing our personal learning network. We can meet people a long our journey who could potentially become an integral part of our future. This is also a reason to be cautious in our actions. In my opinion, Vance is suggesting that you never know what turn your life will take so it is important to not burn bridges along the way.
When employers encourage employees to build community with online tools that they provide, you may be asked to share something or respond to critique in a way that is professional and aligns with company values, but not necessarily personal values. It can be difficult to accept negative critiques or replies and not get defensive and react. When Vance was asked about how she deals with negative comments, she replied sarcastically ākeep your DMās openā. My interpretation of this is that she is able to respond directly to comments made to her on her personal platform more so than ones that are made publicly on her companyās social media. In todayās world, everything you say and do is judged. It is not possible to make everyone happy and it would be impossible to not be subjected to some form of criticism. That is why it is important to build a PLN that you can rely on. This is a benefit of working for a respected media company, knowing the information you are receiving is accurate and real. This makes you as a media source, much more reliable. Social media platforms directly associated with an employer is that the public can ensure that the accounts are verified, and the information put forward on those platforms come from a trusted source.
When you have been in the media industry for a long time, you are considered to be a veteran. Veteran storytellers are often veteran for one of a few reasons: either they tell firsthand accounts of events, they have built a reputation for being truthful based on previous checks, or they are experts in the field. Sharing or posting information in relation to your own experience or the areas that you are familiar with will help you to minimize risk in sharing misinformation. Regardless, becoming a veteran doesnāt happen overnight. Vance talks about her experiences in what Martin Hirst calls a āgig economyā. Working in the media industry is not easy and it does not come with a lot of job security. The job has become even tougher for free lance journalists who are trying to break in to the industry today(Hirst, 2018). In my opinion, Vance was one of the lucky ones. Her persistence, hard work, timing, a trusted network and some good luck enabled her to become the successful person she is today.
References
Hirst, M. (2018). Social Journalism and the Gig Economy. Navigating Social Journalism: A Handbook for Media Literacy and Citizen Journalism. Ch. 6.(pp. 142-143). New York, NY: Routledge.
Vance, J. (February 28, 2021). EDCI 338 ā JODY VANCE. YouTube. https://youtu.be/dgZOJgJkdyI
Hi Calli,
It was great to see another insightful post from you this week! I agree that it is important to remember that every piece of media that is put out there has been influenced by the authorās background and experiences, and that often a lot of thought does go into what they want a piece of media to achieve once it is published in terms of what it is conveying and how it is perceived. I also think that sometimes our own background can influence the way that we perceive a message, and I am sure sometimes what we pick up on can be different from what the author intended us to.
I agree that it is important to not burn bridges! I heard this advice at a networking event in early February. With the type of work I will be doing after graduation; I feel that it is important since our academic community is so small. Everyone seems to know each other in my field! I guess what Jody was trying to get across was that while it is important to not to cut people out without a really good reason to, it is also completely acceptable to āpruneā your PLN down and get rid of ājerksā if them being a part of our PLNs is not serving us anymore.
When I think of a veteran storyteller I find that Brene Brown comes to mind! I am not sure if youāve read any of her books, but I would highly recommend them! She also recently launched a podcast. In a lot of her books, Brene does share firsthand accounts of her different life experiences in a very honest and ārealā type of way. I think one of the reasons she has become so well known within her field and globally is that the information she shares is very reliable. Most of Breneās material actually comes from her own research on various topics such as āguiltā, and when she does integrate other sources she is always very transparent with where the information is coming from.
Thanks Rachelle! So many times I have interpreted a comment a certain way and then found out that I was completely wrong. When I do read something and I am not sure, I try to make myself ask before blowing my stack! lol!
Hi Calli,
I really liked your style of writing. It has a very linear and cohesive tone, and your transition of thoughts between paragraphs makes the whole thing come together. Great job! Your connection between a gig economy and a veteran storyteller was great as you provided a clear explanation and features of a storyteller! I really enjoyed reading your blog and looking forward to more of your work.
Thanks Nav! I really appreciate the kind words.
Hi Callim,
You did such an amazing job. Your blog flows nicely, is really interesting and engaging. One point that stuck out to me was “I think it is very important that they know who they are and that they are committed to remaining true to themselves” I think this sentence is really strong and sums up the reason for social media use. Figuring out who you are, what you are passionate about and then sharing it with others. Not knowing what your own values or beliefs or having the skill to make your own opinion and share it would not make someone a very strong influencer on social media. And further social media is so influential and you are usually seeing people life highlights that it is not hard to compare yourself or lose yourself to it so being true to yourself and ensuring that comments , number of likes and other post aren’t affecting you
Thanks for your comment Asha! Knowing your own values and beliefs or having the confidence to give your own opinion and share can be difficult. I find that as I mature, my views change and so do my opinions. An opinion I may have had 5 years ago, isn’t my opinion today and with social media, we have learned that your digital footprint is everlasting. Your comment about social media being so influential and you and how we see people who are living these fabulous lives. It is hard to not compare yourself or feel like you are missing out. I read an article the other day that said, that over 90% of women ages 15-25, view social media posts and feel negatively about the life they are living. This was shocking but believable!
Impressive post Calli! I totally agree with the idea that public figures need to be true to themselves or else their ābrandā is not going to sell. In addition to this, if they did not show their authentic self, the public will find it hard to trust them or even patronize them. Just as Vance said, the public figure experiences more pressure on people in media because they have much bigger impact. Despite this, public figures must make it a point to not let the pressure get into their head or else they are going to fail. Public figures must be selective in the kind of public engagement that they take part in in order to protect themselves.
Thank you Yuxitang for your comment on my blog. Even as an athlete at Uvic, the department will post pictures of us in action or ask us to post something in support of a social media campaign and people will comment on those posts. It is difficult because even though most comments are positive, it only takes one person to say something negative and the entire dept. is affected.