Online authenticity: Debated definitions

Image created by Mary Henderson

Our culture is a bit obsessed with “authenticity.”

A great piece at The New York Times says this:

Legions of marketers and social networking coaches are preaching that to succeed online — on Twitter, Facebook, Match.com — we must all “be authentic!” A proposed panel at next year’s South by Southwest interactive conference promises to teach attendees “how to be authentic and human without embarrassing yourself.”

This is especially true when talking about one’s online persona. So many people—myself included—are skeptical of others online. Does that girl always look like her Facebook selfies? Does that guy really talk like his statuses?

Part of this skepticism is a response to the much talked about cases where an online persona does not match the person behind it. Remember football star Manti Te’o’s dead girlfriend who turned out to be very much alive and also a man? Catfishing stories like this have made us paranoid.

But I think in responding to these false identities we’ve sometimes gone too far in the opposite direction, now lauding a form of “authenticity” that can be harmful and unrealistic.

Instead of merely taking “authenticity” to mean telling the truth, many use the word to mean that you should parade your entire personality—secrets, warts and all—online without self-censorship.

One of the definitions of “authentic” that Merriam-Webster offers is “real or genuine.” In other words, if you’re a man named Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, don’t portray yourself as a woman named Lennay Kekua (yes, that’s an extreme example), and do try to generally sound and behave like you do in the world off the internet. This, I think, is a definition of authenticity we can all support.

But we shouldn’t have to put everything online in order to be authentic, nor can we realistically portray every aspect of ourselves on a virtual platform.

In the non-online world we portray ourselves differently in different circumstances. Most people act differently with friends than with parents. Both of those situation-specific behaviors alter when the person is with his grandparents. And most people don’t act the same in their workplace as they do with friends or family.

People dress differently, use different words and focus on different subjects when in different situations.

This doesn’t make these people inauthentic. It makes them professional when they need to be professional and casual when they need to be casual. It makes their behavior appropriate for the circumstance.

In much the same way, the internet is a circumstance for which people must pick a method of behavior with the awareness that anyone could potentially see online postings. If you don’t want your boss to see it, don’t post it.

Is this calculated? Yes, but “calculated” is not synonymous with “inauthentic.”

Twisting the definition of “authenticity” to mean behaving with utter abandon is what gets people fired for inappropriate tweets. It’s what makes people appear unprofessional in settings where they should act like professionals.

And so authenticity should not mean acting the way you might act in any and every circumstance. Choosing which “self” to share with the world is not inauthentic, but practical.

~Katherine

Personal Learning Network: Building a cohesive brand

Twitter will play an important part in my journey to learn how journalists use it and other social media sites to create an online identity. // photo by Katherine Burgess

While working a journalism internship in Washington, D.C., I met a host of intriguing journalists who I now follow online.

I met a fiery, conservative editor who loves her cat and social media; a hilarious political reporter who could write a book of stories about covering the campaign trail during election season; and a laid back mother who also makes a living as a thoughtful religion reporter.

Each of these people use social media, incorporating both their journalistic area of expertise and fun tidbits of their personality. How they—and other journalists—use social media impacts how the world sees them. Most of the world won’t have a chance to meet these journalists in person, but anyone can connect with them online.

As a student who is moving into the world of journalism, I know it is crucial to have a solid online identity—part of a “personal brand.”

Since I’m not entirely sure where to start with building such a brand—and since I am conveniently taking “Social Media Theory and Strategies” (COM356) this semester—I have decided to develop a “personal learning plan” in which I will study how a journalist can best use social media to create a cohesive online identity that: 1) shows the personality of the journalist, 2) clearly communicates the journalist’s area of expertise, and 3) creates interest in following the journalist’s work.

The subject is fascinating to me—and I get class credit for it! Pretty exciting, if you ask me.

In order to learn these things, I will analyze the social media (including Twitter accounts, LinkedIn profiles, etc.) of journalists who have succeeded in building a very specific brand for themselves. I’ll also read some of the great resources out there, such as those available on various blogs about personal branding and/or journalism (such as “Market Yourself Smarter” and “Journalistics”).

In doing so, I will build up my own journalistic identity on social media, focusing on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Muck Rack. Through analyzing the way other journalists use social media, I will construct a personal brand—how I want to be seen online. I will then apply what I have learned to these three social media sites, using them so that each supports the specific image I want to create. I will also create a document on what I have learned to share with other student journalists.

I cannot wait to get started. I also appreciate any help or guidance from those wiser and more versed in social media and journalism than I am. So, do you have any suggestions? Any people who I should seek out for advice? Any websites to check out?

Stay tuned to learn more about my social media journey this semester. And also be sure to follow me on Twitter for regular updates!

~Katherine