reporting time

   During today's reporting time, a group of us met for an interview with Robin J. Phillips. She is the digital director of the Cronkite School. She spoke to us about many aspects of social media. Phillips is very knowledgable and personable. And of course she is up to date on the latest innovations and issues surrounding social media. The talk was very interesting and informative.

   One piece of advice she has for aspiring journalists is to establish a positive presence on the web. Specifically, she says to get a domain name for yourself and start a website. She said to use social media as a business tool, not just a personal tool.
   I find myself somewhat feeling lucky that I am already in an established career and not starting out on my first career path. The consequences of what my students are posting online today are unknown. In ten years they may be applying for jobs that they really want and the technology will probably be much better at finding prior indiscretions. Will they even be employable if they posted inappropriate things in their teens or early twenties? It seems important to directly teach the seriousness of leaving an electronic footprint with inappropriate content. Ethics are important to learn early on. So is making good decisions.

Greg Cantwell
Sheldon High School
Eugene, OR