• 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)?

By engaging in a public media space, we got the chance to interact with various people at different places and in diverse fields. Another benefit is to allow more people to recognize you by your profile or updates (acquire more followers, for example). People may also choose to use an anonymous name when they are active in a media space and engaging in conversations with public audiences. People using anonymous characters are more likely would tell the truth to others on the internet since no one knows them in reality. Engaging with a public audience in a media space would lead to privacy issues as well. Since everyone is a virtual character on the internet, it is hard to decide their true character and personality in the real world. If a public figure sends some politic sensitive information or information that is doubtable, public audiences may send negative comments or disclose their personal information in the media space. 

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

Not to argue with people who send negative replies. Try to understand their point of view. But if they just randomly critique everything on the internet, it is best to report their replies to the media owner and let them deal with it. 

low-angle photography of metal structure
Photo by Alina Grubnyak on Unsplash

Reflective questions:

How do notable individuals use social media?

Notable people may use social media to advertise themself to the public and acquire more attention. They are being watched in public eyes so that they post everything cautiously. Anything they post that is sensitive may cause them to be blocked by the government or loss trust in the public. 

What are the benefits of being in the public eye and having a PLN?

It is easier to get more attention and to advertise products when being in the public eye. By having a large PLN, we can learn new knowledge from various people in our network, and easier to acquire help when we need it. When posting in the public eye, people who are also interested in the topic may reply to the post, and we can absorb new points of view or ideas and break our stereotype of things. 

Building community with online tools provided by the employer can be limiting, what are the perceived restrictions and benefits?

When messaging using the online tool provided by my employer, I always watched my wording and carefully to not send anything unrelated to work. It is hard to connect with people who have the same interest in those online tools. The benefit of building community with online tools from work is that we can network with people who are proficient in the same field, and we may meet people who we may never have a chance to meet in reality. 

Delivering information in a connected society requires verifiable resources, how to build a PLN to rely on?

To avoid posting fake information to the online community, we must check the credibility of the information. Such as checking the credibility of the information source, whether it is verified or not. The information should be from a government website or public news site (avoiding posting fake news).

How do those, who are veteran storytellers, minimize risk in sharing misinformation?

To avoid misinformation, veteran storytellers should verify the credibility of the information source. Make sure to use the first handed information but not other articles where it is cited. To avoid biases, storytellers should speak the critical facts but not what is being exaggerated.