1. 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, and government official)?

Social media for public figures and individuals in a position of trust, curating their social media presence take on an added significance. Social media has become such an integral part of our lives blurring the lines between the public and private spheres. People in high positions must weigh both the risks and benefits of engaging with a critical public audience and the responsibilities that come with maintaining an influential online presence.

The benefits of engaging with a public Audience:

Social media gives people with a large audience a powerful platform to amplify important messages and connect with a large diverse audience. For public figures advocating for causes or organizations, this can lead to their message getting further and reaching a larger number of people.

Furthermore, it gives a public figure a chance to build trust and reliability by being able to communicate. We see public figures reply to followers on Twitter which give the figures a chance to display their personality and allows them to be well-liked. Showing personality humanizes them and makes their views more understandable to their followers.

The Risks of Engaging with a public audience

Misinterpretation and miscommunication can often lead to social media creating more harm than good. Often times on social media, messages can be misconstrued or taken out of context which can create negative feedback for a cause. Furthermore, there is a potential that a post may inadvertently offend or alienate people, which can also lead to a negative outcome of the person’s message.

Often times we see people of high stature cite incorrect sources, also known as “fake news”. This can also lead to more harm than good when trying to get a message across via social media. Citing an incorrect source can damage one’s credibility which can be difficult to recover from.