Month: October 2020

Community Engagement & My PLN

1.How does social media help engage in community-based communications?

During the age of public media 1.0, public dissemination is in a top-down approach, which means public opinions are controlled by a few people. However, as the advent of the Internet, everyone could step on the stage of social media and engage themselves. They can tell their own stories, give their opinions towards social news, and provide suggestions on how to solve social issues. A good example comes in the independent media of our last guest: Mo Amir. Such a transformation of social media is significant because it implies wider participation, social scrutiny from the public, and provides a platform for those in need of equity and attention. More power to say means more democracy. As long as everyone is guaranteed with access to social media, truly community-based communications could be realized by social media. (Pooley et al., 2013)

2. How does social media challenge community-based communications?

Although social media does contribute to community-based communications, currently it still faces some challenges. To start with, as certain business models have established, social media would be the next arena involving power and profit. Large-size technological companies could capitalize on their advantages and control social media climate. For example, Facebook is possible to use its platform to microtarget the users and thus hold sway over public thinking. In this aspect, social media is again reduced to the tool of the powerful people. Secondly, there are many policies needed to be set up and implement regarding the content and collaboration in social media in order to ensure public participation as much as possible. Polices should ensure rights of the entire population to be part of the social media, protecting both state media and independent media. (Pooley et al., 2013)

3. Within community engagement, are their extended rules from the employer that you should consider? Are there cultural sensitivities that should be considered? What should your PLN say about you as you communicate to the public via social media or communication tools?

I agree with Angie Kermer that community engagement is better to be about sincerity and reciprocity. We may show our real selves and freely communicate with our friends. However, it is more than that. Social media platforms, whether we like it or not, have been convenient windows for others to examine us. In this context, I would consider employers and cultural sensitivities because the online impression is possible to influence my future career development. I intend to build a professional and polite persona online. And my PLN should present others that I am reliable, accessible and measured.

4. What does it mean to balance your professional expectations and your personal beliefs in curating a PLN for the purpose of career development?

From the videos of the two guests this week, I found that both of them have encountered the contradictions between professional development and personal beliefs in building a PLN. Angie Kermer kind of resists to capitalize on one’s PLN for professional benefits because she believes interpersonal relationship is built naturally and maintained by reciprocity. Mike Russell was once an advocate of no-phone and no-social media. However, under the requirements of his work, he stepped in social media, which also helped his later pivot. From the experiences of the two guests, I found that PLN do bring benefits to our career development, whether it is built online or offline, and whether it is out of intention or not. Besides, the two aspects do not necessarily to be conflicting. I think the balance could be achieved by separating our professional PLN and personal PLN. The two different systems allow us to act differently. I also believe that our personal beliefs can update once we embrace more and try more, just as how Mike Russell changed his idea about social media.

5. What do you think you need to reflect on (in regards to your PLN or development of a PLN) to adapt evolving social media communication expectations as a community learns more about who you are?

Once a community learns more about who I am, I think that’s when I need to pay attention to my language and my opinion stand. Just as what Angie Kermer learned from online communication, I should also ensure the effectiveness of my communication and its decency to a wider audience. Besides, my stand also matters. I am supposed to live up to certain moral principles and represent a neutral and impartial voice. Another consideration is that this is a chance to enlarge my PLN because once I am known by the community I will have more opportunities to make acquaintance with others who may help me with my future career choices.

References

Pooley, J., Taub-Pervizpour, L., & Jansen, S. (2013). Media and social justice. Palgrave.

PLN in practice

1. Explore how you would create a PLN prior to building a podcast on a topic of your choice and how would you use your PLN with the intent to expand your audience?

Just as what Mo Amir said in the video, building a PLN contributes a lot to creating a podcast. He can take part in related community and follow professionals, which lays a foundation for their future cooperation. Besides, he can post an issue and trigger a debate or a meaningful discussion, not only promoting people’s reflection on these issues but also publicizing his own brand. These examples manifest how PLN could play a vital role.

If I have to choose a topic of my podcast, I may choose film commenting. To create such a podcast, I would build my PLN in the following aspects. To begin with, I would follow some renown predecessors on Twitter or YouTube. I would spend some time listening to or watching their works. This process could help me get to know the content and procedures, to be familiar with the taste of the audience. Then I would directly communicate with some of them. I would describe my respect for them as well as my preliminary plan and then ask for advice. At the meantime, I may try to search for people in my PLN who happen to know anyone working on film commenting. To sit down and have a good chat with such predecessors, as far as I am concerned, would be much help and this could also be a basis for our potential cooperation.

I would also put efforts into building my social media profile. As Bianca said in her passage, the profile need to be professional and also show my personality. Since I don’t have much experience, I would briefly and clearly state my motivation and my goals about film commenting. If anyone shows any interest in my content, I would treat them with respect and sincerity because with the great power of social media, one’s positive reputation can bring more fans. I also learn from successful predecessors that one has to proactively sell oneself on different social platforms to expand one’s influence. So I would try to explore as many platforms as I can.

2.Explore some of the privacy/security concerns to consider when developing an audience on any social media platform. What are the concerns for individuals who become influential in a social space?

As to privacy and security concerns, I think they are inevitable if one choose to expose oneself to share his/her views. If one’s famous, such issues could be much more serious. What comes with fame is bigger expectation and requirements. Some people may use one’s previous online traces to attack one’s credibility or one’s character. We may all post some inappropriate remarks or comments under certain circumstances. As a result, one’s social persona is very vulnerable and could collapse in an instant. Another problematic issue is about appearance. I would find this most unacceptable. I myself am not a mentally strong person. If I am at risk of being attacked and abused, I would consider it hard to stick on. On top of that, a more subtle concern is about the public’s expectations. For example, my giving film commenting is initially aimed at looking for fun and bringing useful recommendations for others. And once I get famous, I might be surrounded by others’ expectations and deviant from my original plan. But from another perspective, the public pay attention to us because what we bring to them is special. So persist in one’s initial intention and style may lead to bigger success.

References

Woods, Bianca. “Building your own PLN: seeking new insights and ideas? Expand your personal learning network.” T+D, vol. 67, no. 11, Nov. 2013, p. 70+. Gale OneFile: Business, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A348998538/ITBC?u=uvictoria&sid=ITBC&xid=9daf4a31. Accessed 10 Oct. 2020.