Consider how you would curate your social media with a critical public audience.

I think that it is almost impossible to have a public profile and not have a critical public audience. With any positive attention that is drawn toward a public figure, negative attention is also drawn. Therefore, it is important to know how to address criticism from the media. Personally, I often find myself discussing topics that are very debated, such as women’s reproductive rights and gun laws, so it is important to be prepared for rather harsh criticism from people of opposite opinions. The first step to curating a post is ensuring that it is worded properly and that it truly conveys the message you are trying to communicate. This reduces the risk of an audience member perceiving the information in the wrong way. I would also explain further if any readers had questions regarding the content.

After I’ve made every effort to control the perception of my post, all that I can do is read and accept the criticism that is made. If it is constructive, I will consider their perspective and perhaps adjust my own view. However, with social media much of the criticism is not constructive and I think it is best to just ignore it.

Identify the risks and benefits of engaging with a public audience in a media space – what are the risks for a public figure or person in a position of trust (educator, lawyer, government official)?

While there are many benefits for public figures when they engage online, there are also many risks. One way to identity these risks is to look at the opposite of the benefits. In her interview, Vance noted a few different benefits to social media. For one, the direct message (DM) feature on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook allows the user of the PLN to connect instantly with their followers (Vance, 2021). However, this also means that followers can DM the public figure whenever they desire, even if it’s a negative message. This has led to many personal attacks and, in some cases, death threats. Direct messaging has 

Another benefit that Vance mentioned was that you are able to sell yourself more positively by highlighting your strengths (2021). While this is certainly a large benefit, this also leaves the person open to criticism. Unfortunately, highlighting strengths often means hiding weaknesses. With social media, weaknesses are bound to come out sooner or later. These are often shared by others as a way to combat the positives that the person has shared about themselves. This is commonly seen in political elections when one candidate will share negative information about their opponent in an effort to combat the positives that have been highlighted about their opponent, and to make themselves look better.

Consider how to best address negative replies and critiques reflective of your personal values and employer social media policy?

This relates to the first question about a curating social media among a critical public audience. Criticism can be very difficult to accept, especially when it is coming from a multiple sources. I think the best way to handle personal criticism from the media is to consider what is constructive and what is not. Many people who criticize others on the internet attack on personal aspects such as appearance and qualities that cannot be changed. That type of criticism is unnecessary and unhelpful, and should be ignored. Criticism that refers to flaws with a certain belief, or the content of a post is more helpful and should be taken into consideration. This is an opportunity to rethink what you’ve posted and take a different perspective into account.

Open dialogues about media literacy and factual information can create conflict, why does this happen?

Media literacy can be simplified into an understanding of social media (Trilling & Fadel, 2009). This means you are able to understand how the platforms and the ways they communicate messages, and translate this into an effective use of social media. Media literacy may look different for each person, so conflict over media literacy can come from clashing understandings of a post on social media. 

Conversely, factual information is simply information that is true; it cannot be argued and cannot be changed. However, it can be difficult to present facts in an unbiased way. In many instances in the media, people will have a specific agenda that they are supporting. In this case, the facts of a situation may be used to reach a specific point, rather than only the facts. Therefore, conflict can develop from both sides of the issue when factual information is used to argue one side and ignores the other.

What is the benefit of having a PLN that values media literacy?

Media literacy refers to the understanding of how to use media resources to create content. This means knowing how to create a written post, video, podcast etc. depending on what the content and the platform call for. For example, a post on Twitter can look different from a post on Instagram. By applying media literacy skills to a PLN, a person can more effectively craft their content to match the each platform. This is a good way to ensure the message of the post is perceived in the way you intend it to be perceived.

This connects to a point that was mentioned in my previous blog, which is that social media is always changing. This means media literacy will need to be refreshed every few years because so many more resources are becoming available every year, so we have to familiarize ourself with each one to remain truly literate. Staying connected and up-to-date on social media is very important for PLNs in order to keep an audience engaged.

Works Cited

Trilling, B. & Fadel, C. (2009), 21st Century Skills – Learning for Life In Our Times, https://learning-oreilly-com.ezproxy.library.uvic.ca/library/view/21st-century-skills/9780470475386/fade_9780470475386_oeb_c04_r1.html

Smith, J. (2021). “EDCI 338 – MEDIA LITERACY with JULIE SMITH.” Youtube, uploaded by MILLER, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57r3-aEnci0&ab_channel=MILLER

Vance, J. (2021). “Jody Vance – Media Voices.” Youtube, uploaded by MILLER, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NnpQJdl0A&ab_channel=MILLER