Understanding the Intersection of Business, Politics, and Social Media

As social media becomes an increasingly prevalent means of distributing information, advertising products and services, and communicating with stakeholders, questions arise regarding the politics and ethics that inform its use.

What are the potential consequences of using social platforms to disseminate political ideologies? How has the use of LinkedIn affected workplace politics and changed professional networking? Does professional success require the use of social media, or can it do more harm than good?

These are just a few of the many questions arise navigating the professional, political, and online worlds. To provide professionals with the skills to successfully inform social media use and decisions, the Global Community Engagement program at University College is offering a Politics and Social Media course.

The Global Community Engagement program focuses on helping people navigate globally connected and culturally diverse environments that are crucial for professional success. The new Politics and Social Media course reflects that mission, teaching students to: 

• Distinguish between social media and traditional mass media to identify benefits and drawbacks of each.
• Analyze the ways in which social media enhances or impedes effective workplace communication.
• Evaluate consequences of using social media in the context of politics.
• Describe cultural considerations that facilitate or impede the effective use of social media.

“These skills are critical for anyone who seeks to be culturally informed and keep up with the changing demands of a 21^st century workspace,” said Arianna Nowakowski, Global Community Engagement program academic director.

Interested in learning more? Enroll before you apply for a degree or certificate, and start the Politics and Social Media course this September—just in time to follow along and understand the 2020 election.