2.) Media Technologies - Social Media / Blogs

Social media has become a mainstay for a large number of people throughout the world.  Facebook and Twitter are the most mainstream vehicles that people currently use to communicate to a wide group of people.  This type of social media allows users to establish their own personal web page that allows them to communicate regularly with friends of their choosing. 

Individuals who use social media are very in tune with others and share information openly.  In addition to Facebook and Twitter, social media includes Wikis, sharing sites such as YouTube, podcasts and blogs.  These types of sites are inherently social and were created to share and openly contribute information to a wide variety of individuals. 

Podcasts provide the ability to share a consistent message to a large number of people.  “Speeches generally are delivered in person, but they can appear online as streamed video or as a live feed.  Often, organizations use their Web sites to offer copies of important speeches delivered by their executives” (Marsh, Guth, Short, 2009, p. 96).  Podcasts can be audio only or audio and video.  Often times they are used to disperse a singular message intended to a large constituency, such as the quarterly earnings of a business or a message from an executive to the employee base. 

Blogs are also commonly used to communicate personal thoughts or ideas to those who wish to follow the blogger.  An individual can establish their own personal website as a means to communicate to a larger audience.   “Web sites are today’s mean of distributing information quickly and to a diverse audience.  They can inform, market goods and services, share opinions and entertain” (Marsh, Guth, Short, 2009, p. 98). 

Those who use social media, blogs, and podcasts, just to name a few, have a responsibility to their audience by being selective with the information that is posts as well as being honest with the message that is conveyed.

March, S., Guth, D., Short, B. (2009). Strategic Writing: Multimedia writing for public relations, advertising and more. (2nd Edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.