The power of online presence

I recently attended a school board meeting where the topic of discussion was “Social Media and Vengeful Actions.”

It was alleged a board member made posts on social media that caught the attention of several community members and staff. The board member subsequently apologized for those posts during the meeting, but later posted again to social media stating he felt he deserved an apology from the newspaper for the coverage of that meeting.

I would like to say, while it was not my intention to ruffle feathers, I do not make the news, I just write it and I try to do so as diplomatically as possible.

Reporting on public officials and their activities is for the public interest. Journalists have the right to report on public meetings, decisions and actions taken by board members as part of their duty to inform the public. Freedom of the press is a principle that allows journalists to gather and report information without censorship or undue interference and freedom of speech protects individuals’ rights to express themselves freely, on things like social media nonetheless.

These freedoms we have been awarded do not come without consequence.

In my opinion, transparency and accountability are fundamental aspects of our functioning democracy, which we have fought to uphold throughout history. Personally, I will stand by my words, but I am also willing to apologize if I make a mistake because everyone is fallible.

I have come to realize, as I am sure have many, we are now a society driven by social media and online expression, which means it has become increasingly crucial for all of us to understand the weight of our words and actions.

If we are not prepared to have our name associated with our own decisions and statements later, maybe we shouldn’t make them.

Posting derogatory content on social media is not only a reflection of poor judgment but it also undermines our credibility and reputation.

Misty DeJournett is a staff writer at the Daily American Republic. She can be reached at mdejournett@darnews.com.