Social media is a public forum where people exchange updates, information and communication (Kavanaugh 480). The primary use of social media is to become visible to your network. For a long time, social media was generally used for unofficial purposes. Facebook, Twitter and Instagram among other social media platforms were simply used for sharing pictures and messages among ordinary citizens. However, the use of social media platforms has drastically changed over the years. Governments and elected officials have increasingly used twitter and Facebook to connect to their networks. In fact, most elected officials are encouraging citizens to register on social media and follow their specific handles for instant updates. Despite social media proving to be an important tool for these elected officials, it has had its downfall. Most local and state officials have made social media blunders that have led to embarrassment and retractions ("Officials Urged To Take Care With Social Media"). Instantaneous communication has got majority of these elected leaders in trouble to the extent of jeopardizing their careers. As a result, the leaders are required be careful in this age of instant communication because a simple post can have a worldwide view in a matter of seconds. There are best practices that need to be followed by these elected leaders. Training would help them to pause and think about what they are about to post as well as their repercussions (Kavanaugh 480). Social media posts should be treated as press statements and elected leaders have a greater responsibility of ensuring that whatever they post are accurate and timely.
Due to the challenges and risks that social media poses to elected leaders, there are various best practices that can be adopted. These include:
Beware of perceptions
Traditional rules of ethics are also applicable online
International deliberations should be kept confidential
Assume that everything that you write will become public internationally
Independently authenticate anything that is read on other sites before posting
Be transparent at all times and admit when wrong
Social networks are tools and toys
Avoid defamatory, sexist, racist and other despairing language and material
The increasing use of social media has not escaped the attention of the most powerful man on the planet, Donald Trump. The U.S. president is a great fun of social media, particularly Twitter. On a daily basis, Mr. Trump tweets about a number of activities that occur not only in the United States but all over the world. Reviewing his Twitter handle, Donald Trump has posted messages that are both consistent and inconsistent with the official government pages. Trump has made tweets on the economy, trade, drugs, guns. Environment, the military, and security among others. These themes are also present in the official government pages which are more reliable ("Donald J. Trump (@Realdonaldtrump) On Twitter"). However, President Donald Trump does not use social media responsibly. Through his social media handle, President Trump has attacked other leaders in ways that are considered dangerous and disrespectful considering his position. For instance, he recently referred to Hillary Clinton’s campaign staff as “crooked and highly sophisticated” when referring to their spending of campaign funds ("Donald J. Trump (@Realdonaldtrump) On Twitter"). Recently, President Trump also refereed to the former U.S vice president, Joe Biden as “weak both mentally and physically.” Trump further went ahead to brag that Joe Biden would go down first in the event they were engaged in a physical battle. Donald Trump has also repeatedly claimed that the media was spreading “fake news” on issues he does not agree. He further claimed that he uses social media fight the unfair and dishonest press. Clearly, Donald Trump uses social media for unofficial purposes. Majority of his messages are particularly dangerous to democracy and disrespect leaders of different nations.
The current U.S. vice president has also embraced the use of social media. The most important themes he posts include the economy, accomplishments and the military. On the economy, Mr. Pence has written social messages on how President Trump has taken decisive actions to grow the American Economy ("Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) | Twitter"). He also wrote about the confidence that manufacturers have on President Trump’s economic agenda which are all on the official government page. Mr. Pence has also talked about the year of accomplishments in his twitter handle. He highlighted the records being made by the stock market, job creation and rebuilding of the military ("Home Page"). Due to the fight against ISIS, the vice president has highlighted the importance of making the military stringer to mount a formidable challenge against terrorism ("Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) | Twitter"). Mr. Spence’s social media posting is quite disciplined and consistent with the official government pages. He writes messages that are purely authentic and accurate without misusing the platform.
The president of the United States and the Vice president have more personal and social responsibility to the residents and citizens on the use of social media than the average Twitter and Facebook user. These two have greater responsibility compared to the average user of social media due to the positions they hold in the society ("Social Media Tips For Elected Officials | Southern California Latino Policy Center"). Their communication represents the communication of all citizens of the United States. Their tweets on Twitter and messages on Facebook not only have an impact on domestic policy but also on international relations. A mere tweet or post by either the president or the vice president is capable to starting a civil war, undermining democracy and breaking relationships among other countries in the world. Hence, these elected bear the greatest responsibility when it comes to posts on social media because the impacts of such messages can greatly influence the destiny of a country and its success.
If I were the social media advisor of Donald Trump, I would advise him to rethink about the traditional ethics that are also present in social media. I would advise him to refrain from posting any personal, confidential or sensitive information about anyone ("Officials Urged To Take Care With Social Media"). I would also advise the president against posting harassing or threatening messages against any person or institution. Currently, Mr. Trump posting sensitive and personal messages that can affect a great number of people. Mr. Trump should ensure he is professional in his posting to attract supporters beyond his base ("Social Media Tips For Elected Officials | Southern California Latino Policy Center"). The vice president, on the other hand, has been adhering to all the best practices and he should continue with his responsible use of social media. To reach out beyond his base of supporters, he should rename his account in a manner that is desirable to both Republican and Democrat supporters.
Determining what is true and a lie would depend on the source. The truth often originates from reliable sources such as government websites and other official communication channels. Hence, it would be important that these officials post information that has been made available on official communication channels ("Social Media Tips For Elected Officials | Southern California Latino Policy Center"). Social media’s importance cannot be underestimated. However, elected leaders should recognize that they have the greatest responsibility in terms of what they post. They should constantly review the best practices to avoid posting information that can have an adverse impact on their careers and followers.
Works Cited
"Donald J. Trump (@Realdonaldtrump) On Twitter". Twitter.Com, 2018, https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
"Home Page". The White House, 2018, https://www.whitehouse.gov. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
"Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) | Twitter". Twitter.Com, 2018, https://twitter.com/mike_pence. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
"Officials Urged To Take Care With Social Media". Pewtrusts.Org, 2018, http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2014/10/17/officials-urged-take-care-with-social-media. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
"Social Media Tips For Elected Officials | Southern California Latino Policy Center". Socalatinos.Org, 2018, http://socalatinos.org/social-media-tips-for-elected-officials/. Accessed 31 Mar 2018.
Kavanaugh, Andrea L., et al. "Social media use by government: From the routine to the critical." Government Information Quarterly 29.4 (2012): 480-491.
