How does social media use in public discourse potentially challenge advocacy communications? 

Social media is all about presenting a specific image of yourself, often one that spins a situation to look as good as possible. While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can also lead to self-promotion that is fueled by empty promises. This was briefly mentioned in Moore and Schnellert’s (2017) writing when they mention how the meaning of inclusion has changed. Years ago, inclusion in education meant accepting all people and celebrating differences. Now, it is associated with political campaigns that make the candidate look good but ultimately result in no change to the educational system (Moore & Schnellert, 2017). This often translates to most other aspects of society when a politician advocates for change on media, but takes little action in real life. Therefore, social media may hinder advocacy communications and efforts by prioritizing showmanship over action. 

How diverse is your existing PLN?

My PLN is minimally diverse because I chose to focus on the incorporation of social justice issues into classroom teaching. However, the variety of issues that can be discussed within this overall theme is rather wide. Most of the accounts I follow are focused on anti-bias and anti-racist education, as I was seeking out resources on this specific topic. However, to make my PLN more diverse and inclusive I could expand the accounts I follow to more general teaching resources, or how to incorporate other types of diversity into my teaching and learning.

As stated by Moore and Schnellert, inclusion isn’t homogeneity, but rather acceptance of all differences (Moore & Schnellert, 2017). I think it is important for me to expand the reach of accounts with which I connect through my PLN in order to access all perspectives and get a well-rounded view of the issues.

In your PLN, are you learning from a variety of voices?

Most of the voices I see in my PLN are from educators who have experience with anti-racist education, and people of colour who share what they think is important to teach. To diversify the voices of my platform, I could seek out the perspectives of students from different age groups to see what they’re learning and what they wish to be learning. I could also seek out the perspectives of other education students to compare our takeaways from the media content.

The importance of diversity in education was explained well by Moore in her interview. She mentioned that the job of a teacher is always evolving and you have to treat it as such by adjusting lessons and teaching methods (Moore, 2021). The same goes for a PLN. New topics are always surfacing that need to be addressed, and a truly effective PLN will change and accommodate those new topics.

How does social media engage in advocacy communications?

Social media is arguably the best way to share ideas quickly and to a large audience, which is the main reason many politicians have recently joined many of the most popular platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc.). One of the most active politicians on social media is Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (also known as AOC). AOC uses her instagram to regularly update followers on new policies, as well as to interact directly with people who might have questions about her policies, stances, or government events in general. In this way, social media is a very helpful tool in communicating with the community and spreading messages of advocacy quickly. 

Works Cited

Clark, Jessica, and Aufderheide, Patricia. “A New Vision for Public Media: Open, Dynamic, and Participatory.” Media and Social Justice, 2011, pp.55-67. https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/content/pdf/10.1057%2F9780230119796.pdf

Moore, Shelley. “EDCI 338 – 20 Minutes Moore.” YouTube, uploaded by MILLER, 30 May 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeSV0rUl1bA

Moore, S. & Schnellert, L. (2017, February 13) One Without the Other Stories of Unity Through Diversity and Inclusion (p 11-12). Portage & Main Press. https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/lib/uvic/reader.action?docID=4832579&ppg=6

Bizjournals.com, www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/05/02/5-basic-tenets-for-employee-social-media-advocacy.html. (featured image)