Research Podcast

    

Podcast link

    For my podcast I listened to "Become a Better Communicator" by Jeff Shirk. Jeff talked about his passion for helping people and watching them develop. This reminds me of the definition of Communitarian ethics from the reading. This is "a moral responsibility to promote community, mutuality, and persons-in-relation who live simultaneously for others and for themselves"(p.153). He stated that he uses online tools and communication to help accomplish this. He talked about trying to develop what he calls "Masterminders." He described it as a set of tools he uses to make people better leaders. One point he made is that when developing people he does not talk at them, he states that "no one wants to be talked at." Jeff says that communication is one of the most important things to help a person be professional and a good leader. One thing he says is it is important when communicating, is to make sure no one is intimated and no one is bored. There needs to be a sense of relatability between communicators. An interesting point that was made by Jeff is that you need to make sure people can hear your smile. Basically I took it to mean that you want to take measures so that the person you are communicating with picks up on the general vibe of what is being said without coming straight out and saying it. Even if it is something as simple as an emoji. Jeff explains that now communication online and through phones is more important than ever and it is imperative that we learn how to use it effectively. However, in person communication can never be replaced.

Green, Julia M. Communicating Online. McGraw Hill Education Create, 2017.

Shirk, Jeff. “EP 23: Become A Better Communicator - with Jeff Shirk: High Performance Leadership Podcast.” Acast, 15 Apr. 2017, https://shows.acast.com/hpleadershippodcast/episodes/5a6122a1c392708165a467e5.

The Battle For Public Opinion

 

• How is social media changing the way people document history?

    Not so long ago, people would get their news from either news channels, news websites, or the newspaper. Now because of social media, people can see first hand accounts of events from people who are/were at an event. We are now able to see things unfold from several different perspectives. This has helped cut down on only delivering and documenting events based on a news station's personal agenda. It is becoming harder for things to be covered up because almost everyone has a camera in their pocket that links to the internet in real time. In this way, I think social media is actually beneficial to how we document history now.

• Give an example of how it’s been used in a positive, or negative way.

    Social media can be used as a powerful tool both positively and negatively. One way I've seen it used negatively is creating environments where people become radicalized on an idea. Below is a chart showing how much more social media is being used in the radicalization of extremists.

What happens is people surround themselves with others on social media who think  the same way they do. Since they can avoid others that have opposing views they start to believe that they're right and almost everyone thinks like them. Then they are fed lines about how terrible a group or person is and start getting angrier and angrier until they take action.

• How have people used social media to win the hearts and minds of people? Provide examples

    One of my favorite examples of how social media is used to win the hearts and minds of people is Wendy's. Wendy's uses humor and a laid back attitude to market to customers. I think it is a simple a brilliant way to market. I enjoy that they are willing to go where it seems most companies are scared to go. They really stand out amongst the competition when it comes to social media presence. I have never felt the need to go on a fast food company's social media but I will visit Wendy's every once and a while just for a good laugh. Here is a link to 32 of Wendy's tweets: click here.