With new technology, there are certainly some issues that come out that you would never expect, but others that you could have seen or even predicted. One of the issues being discussed heavily in both the professional and academic circles in public relations is the issue of online reputation management.
The thing that I noticed by just talking about this with students, fellow graduate students, faculty, and other professionals – how you interact, communicate, and share information online is very important to consider – especially how others are making first impressions of others based on what they see online. Online reputation is priceless – since this information is not only representative of how others see themselves, but the entire global online community can see for themselves what is presented online.
One of the current issues being raised in academia is whether or not it is appropriate to “friend” students on Facebook. In my class, I give my students the option of being friends with me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter (I use Facebook and Twitter in both of my classes). However, I do put down in my syllabus that if they do friend me, that means they get to see what I am doing but I get to see what they are doing. It is almost like a social media contract where everyone is aware of what is going on. It is important for people to think before they post – because it can be viewed by anyone. Several cases have already come out about teachers who were not representing themselves professionally on Facebook with their students.
A lot of these issues can be solved by educating both the students and faculty / teachers about the opportunities, but also the challenges and risks involved with being active on social media. The days of having a double life (personal and professional) are gone – establish your reputation and online presence to be positive and engaging, and make sure that it is balanced and similar to how you conduct yourself in real life. You need to be your own PR representative, and it takes time, resources, and energy to build a proactive and positive reputation. A reputation is priceless, and you can’t risk damaging it with the current state of the economy and the competitive nature in the business realm.
These are just a few of my thoughts on the subject. If you are interested in learning more about how to manage your online reputation, I do have a presentation on Slideshare that you all can check out and on Prezi. Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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