Social Media Workshop A special thanks to Mr.

Steve Lawson (@solobasssteve) whos expertise on social media allowed this document to be so comprehensive. Key terms and aspects: The types of media are text, visual and audio. They only become social media through interaction. E.g. a picture is media, it is social when you show someone. Broadcast media: Newspapers, TV etc, where one speaker directs views to a mass audience, which receives them but cannot respond. The main form of recognised media. Conversation media: Like Facebook chat, where two people can have a conversation and respond to one anothers points. A growing form of media.

Conflict between broadcast and conversation media: Twitter allows you to have conversations and to broadcast, but also to publically broadcast your conversations, so that what was once treated as an off the cuff remark to a friend becomes something more powerful. A tweeter may make what in reality would be a joking remark, but because it is publically broadcast, this conversational media becomes a piece of broadcast media, and is treated as such. In this way, twitter is a bit like publishing a record of a private conversation on the front page of a newspaper. Due to this, one must be very careful: never say anything in conversation that you dont want to broadcast. The impact of potential and interpretation: Because your every word is consumed and digested by the audience it is broadcasted to, it is open to interpretation. This means that one persons view can be imposed on your words to make you look guilty. i.e Paul Chambers, who tweeted a joke about blowing up an airport and was arrested because his words were interpreted wrongly, and fears about terrorism were imposed on them. Potential is viewed as actuality. This is a key point, and basically means that online through social media, you are seen as having said or done everything your words or actions could suggest. This is like the idea that every download is a lost sale: when in actual fact you would never buy as much as you download, just as you would never do some of the things you say you would online. Impact of records: Every tweet and mention, status and upload can be searched. Therefore, everything can be constantly used as a reference point in undermining you. Never before have peoples conversations been able to be eternally recorded, and this means people must be careful. Things can and will come back to bite you. However, your uploaded social media is not yours, so you cant delete it: it all belongs to the site that hosts it. This presents future problems such as the idea of actually owning your tweets. Even a chat can be print screened: nothing is private. Because of this, everything is public, and therefore trust and honesty are important. Only those people who are genuine, likeable and honest will survive in the twittersphere.

Functions of Social Media: Twitter should act as a conduit because real meaning is difficult in 140 characters. It is useful for linking to blogs and pictures, and in this way acts as a gateway for media to pass through. Therefore, it is a wonderful place to trade ideas and information, and to network. Face book is more of a technological sinkhole, where media doesnt really leave and everything is already there. Both forms allow data harvesting, which is a danger, and means that we will have to develop a greater awareness of what firms know about us. While Twitter is open, and very public, Facebook is closed off, only being accessible to users. This means it is less useful for the purposes UKYP would want to use it for in that only friends see things: whereas on Twitter a wide audience can be easily reached. Privacy and Secrecy: It is probably wise to be aware that many people, including some governments, see do distinction. However, there is one: privacy is a basic right currently not afforded online, while secrecy is generally the preserve of those with something to hide. The Value of Honesty and Transparency: Because online social media is so transparent and it is so easy to catch people out, only honesty and integrity will stand the test of time. They stand up to the rigours of utter openness, and as in life, endear people to you. Trust is built, and followerships are developed, around those who say good, honest, meaningful things that are consistent, and said with honesty and conviction. This is particularly true in removing the sensation from crises. If one owns up to something, and confronts it head on with honesty, its negative effect dissipates. Sally Bercow is a good example, by being completely up front and honest about pictures of her former drunken self, she successfully removed from the story to the extent where people arent interested, and she remains a popular tweeter. This is the best way to deal with negative press, to be open about it. Professionalism Stories of sacked employees abound in the twitter age. It seems barely a week goes by without a tweet implicating a lack of professionalism and a subsequent P45. However, as we become more aware that people have a right to privacy and to free speech online, we may see a situation where professionalism is judged by different criteria. Rather than judgements based on past or private behaviour we may one day judge public figures and each other by how we behave as professionals, rather than picking up on every tiny flaw. Tips: Never tweet with a temper. Twitter is a listening tool tweet deck especially. Dont go for easy targets, and dont zealously attack people. Use twitter to be representative, listen and connect with people on it. Use twitter to find issues and the people involved in addressing them.

Dont be caught in a bubble, expose yourself to other views and the frantic activity online. Think before tweeting, and think how it could be seen. Engage with all of your constituents. Remember nothing is deleted. Things you say when you are unknown will hurt you when you are known. Dont tweet anything you wouldnt say to a reporter. Debate, dont preach.