Craig Verley

Social media has become the center of so much of what we do and how we consume news and information. Do you rely upon the algorithms of your Facebook newsfeed or “For You” tab/timeline on “X,” Threads, etc. to stay informed throughout your day? If so, you need to stop that practice!

In the school communications world, it is important to keep up with the pulse of your community, and the news at the local, state, and national levels. I probably don’t need to remind you that what state and national news outlets are reporting on, often gets mined for local story ideas. Plus, it is important to know the full spectrum of stories that sometimes can be missed if a news outlet happens to lean towards the right or the left…if you know what I mean. As a journalist at heart, it pains me that so many of our news outlets out there are not as balanced as they should be in what they cover and how they cover news.

If you are relying upon your main Facebook timeline or the “For You” timelines of other social media, you are probably missing out on important news and angles of that news. Remember, the algorithms are designed to keep you engaged with the platform and keep you going back. They have gotten very good at homing in on your topics of interest, and political leanings. So, your “main” timeline will be slanted in favor of those interests and leanings to keep you engaged with the platform. In which case you are not getting a complete picture of the story.

Make a point to spend some time crafting a well-rounded “Following” timeline/tab. Be sure to include a strong cross-section of news outlets, reporters, editors, community groups, etc. that represent the full spectrum of viewpoints and news slants. Then regularly check the “Following” timeline/tab. Will you find yourself rolling your eyes and sighing as you read some of the posts from outlets taking a political slant you don’t agree with? Count on it. Knowing and understanding all of that can help you as you plan your communications and marketing. It can help you identify topics that may be about to be thrust upon your district and help you better prepare for responses based on fact, and perhaps framed in a way to suit the news outlet and their audience to help them towards a clearer understanding of the topic. Just remember…it is never a good idea to lie or deceive.

So, beware of the main timeline and “For You” timelines/tabs. Getting trapped in those echo chambers and silos may not be a good thing for the part of your job that requires you to be aware of the full spectrum of viewpoints and news.