I’m finally starting to see photos of my Facebook friends again. There for about a week it seemed like all I saw was red boxes with pink lines where profile pictures used to be. Apparently my social media friends are quite a bunch of activists. Or are they?
My friends were participating in a form of social media-based activism that some call slacktivism.
Slacktivism is a combination of the words slacker and activism. The term is used to describe public support of a social issue or cause.
The interesting thing about slacktivism is that it has no actual impact. All slacktivism really does, according to those who call it this, is make participants feel good.
That’s right, breast cancer isn’t actually eradicated when you change your Facebook status to your bra color any more than the Supreme Court will make its decision on same-sex marriage based on your Twitter avatar.
What caught my attention about the number of altered avatars in my social media feeds was how many of them belonged to journalists. Taking a stance, however passive, on such a controversial social issue seems contradictory to remaining unbiased and uninvolved. This participation seems counter to objectivity, even if the journalist claims the account represents his/her own views. Ironically, all while listing his/her employer as a media agency and using the account to promote content.
The ethics of such social movements were the subject of a recent ethics question for my media law and ethics class. I asked students to take a stance on this question:
Should journalists participate in social media activism or what some have termed “slacktivism”?
A simple majority of the class said journalists should not participate in social movements because doing so suggests bias.
But I was surprised by the number of students who thought this type of participation on a journalist’s “personal” account was acceptable. These students typically argued that journalists are citizens too and have a right to have opinions about important issues.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this issue.
GrandmaCyd says
StacyHarbaugh profkrg But journalists have an obligation to keep their opinions to themselves. That’s part of the ethics.
StacyHarbaugh says
But when the personal becomes political, journalists are human and cannot be entirely neutral. GrandmaCyd profkrg
StacyHarbaugh says
Should journalists not join churches? Run a 5k for lukemia? Recycle? Marry a same-sex partner and post wedding photos? GrandmaCyd profkrg
GrandmaCyd says
StacyHarbaugh profkrg I get your point. I should say my POV is “it depends.” Running a 5k for cancer is different from political involv’t.
StacyHarbaugh says
What if I’m raising $ for a 5K for cancer in the name of an uncle who has silicosis from his job at a frac sand mine? GrandmaCyd profkrg
StacyHarbaugh says
Everything is personal. Everything is political. Unfortunately, the personal has become _partisan_. That’s the rub. GrandmaCyd profkrg
GrandmaCyd says
StacyHarbaugh Political vs. Partisan: I think it’s time for an AssJammery-style #SymanticInterlude. In all srsness, tho, an astute point.
ctaylsaurus says
GrandmaCyd StacyHarbaugh Can I get in on this? But in real life with more than 140 characters?
GrandmaCyd says
ctaylsaurus StacyHarbaugh If there is beer involved, sure.
ctaylsaurus says
GrandmaCyd StacyHarbaugh I’d vote for a day when we can sit on a patio, but my guess is that would mean August.
StacyHarbaugh says
#TAVERNTOPIC TIME! GrandmaCyd ctaylsaurus
GrandmaCyd says
StacyHarbaugh ctaylsaurus Welp, this link is also on my Facebook wall. I won’t mind if you hijack it. #nocharacterlimit
AssJammery says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd ctaylsaurus Let’s do it on the air. 3 mics open next Thu 9-11am. C’mon, whaddya say?
GrandmaCyd says
AssJammery StacyHarbaugh ctaylsaurus Would love to but probably can’t get away from my job that morning.
legaleagle says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg I’m not entirely sure I agree that is the case.
legaleagle says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg IMO, seems more that politics/politicians are detached from the personal to fully adhere to the partisan
gnarlytrombone says
legaleagle StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg “In the original concept,…method is objective, not the journalist.” http://t.co/cmRPaK8UZH
StacyHarbaugh says
Line between avitar slacktivism and living a life that reveals one’s values in a society that politicizes everthing? GrandmaCyd profkrg
douglaserice says
This is a hard question in an age of work-life integration. It’s not just a question for journalists, but also for business people, government officials, college professors, and list goes on and on. All of these professionals are people too and they deserve the right to express their own personal values in social contexts. At the same time, those personal values reflect, whether they intend them to or not, on the perception of the organization for which they work. I don’t have an answer to this question. I don’t know that there is an answer. But it is nevertheless a great question…and one we should be asking.
CitizenDino says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg Why shouldn’t they? I read this, and do not understand the denial of journalists humanity.
StacyHarbaugh says
Everybody, we’ll need to add CitizenDino from Wausau to our next #taverntopic time. GrandmaCyd profkrg ctaylsaurus
ctaylsaurus says
Name a time! StacyHarbaugh CitizenDino GrandmaCyd profkrg
GrandmaCyd says
ctaylsaurus StacyHarbaugh CitizenDino Look at what profkrg started!
CitizenDino says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg ctaylsaurus Sorry, I seem to be spending my time defending journalists these days.
CitizenDino says
StacyHarbaugh GrandmaCyd profkrg ctaylsaurus I did not mean to jump in the middle of something.
GrandmaCyd says
CitizenDino StacyHarbaugh profkrg ctaylsaurus It’s cool– a community conversation.
Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing says
What a keen observation, Kenna. I noted the folks who did that; many of them were gay and lesbian and others were speaking out safely in a Facebook community. I admire peeps who showcase personal opinions online; especially politics. I try really really hard to stay away from any issue that will open the floodgates of negativity which stresses me out royally.
While I’m opinionated, I don’t prefer the backlash from others who don’t know me. There is too much stress in my life already; no need to add more.
profkrg says
Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing I certainly understand the desire not to add fuel to the fire. As a professional journalist, I was discouraged from sharing information as simple as who I voted for in an election as it might suggest bias. I make assumptions that people understand that they’re agreeing to keep their views to themselves when they join this industry. Perhaps that’s not always the expectation.
Thank you for reading and commenting!
Kenna
journostuff says
profkrg I’ve always considered journalism to be a social cause itself because it helps citizens make more informed choices.
profkrg says
journostuff yes, there certainly is a service aspect to journalism. I agree.
Sefleischman says
profkrg No one should participate in this kind of “slacktivism” that the article describes 😉
profkrg says
@Sefleischman So you don’t see any value in this in any way?
susansilver says
I dunno, I am divided on the point of this post, should journalists state their political opinions publicly. Well, sometimes! Much of the best investigative journalism I have seen has come from opinionated people who sensed something wasn’t right and looked into the details. Call it guts or instinct, but that comes from a place deep inside you. But what the journalist does is report objectively gathering facts and evidence …sometimes even changing their opinion when the truth comes to light and they discover they are wrong.
So the question really should be, can a journalist with a political opinion be objective when reporting. The answer is yes, because if the answer is no .. .well we are all in big trouble.
profkrg says
susansilver Excellent points, Susan. To me there is a different in having a news instinct and publicly displaying your personal views. I hope, either way, that journalists keep their personal views out of their reporting.
Kenna
dadblunders says
Kenna,
I think I would be more concerned if we stopped this kind of activism rather than maintain it. Most activism at least causes social awareness of a movement and just because all we see in “slacktivism” we do not see the effects of it.
Think about it this way, someone supports breast cancer awareness by placing a pink ribbon on their site. You are correct that it doesn’t have a direct effect on the movement, but the unobserved effect is probably there. An example would be someone that is suffering from breast cancer finds comfort in the added support from others. It might even be someone that is able to make a generous donation to the foundation. We could even say it might be that contribution that leads to cure for breast cancer.
Now if, you can imagine a world with no “slacktivism.” Breast cancer and survivors go unnoticed. There is little funding for research and people with the disease feel as if nobody cares about breast cancer. Isn’t it better with slacktivism than with the alternative?
I think our country is founded on supporting each other (even in the smallest ways). I have no problem with a journalist or anyone taking on social causes that affect others. If I don’t agree with a journalist, I have the option of not reading them. I think it would be a step backwards by taking away their right. A right I think has a greater value for humanity. Just my opinion of course….
Aaron Brinker aka Dadblunders
KimWHix says
RT GoodBoyRoybrand: Should Journalists Support Social Causes? http://t.co/30cO5FNAps
Vokanth says
RachelintheOC profkrg On their own time for sure.