by Aimee Cartwright
Social media can inspire engagement, community and connection, but let’s not forget it’s also the main driver of cancel culture.
This week, we’re discussing career longevity in the age of social media, and how PR teams can use Exposed Person Checks (Social Media Checks for public figures) to protect careers and reputations.
Career Longevity in the Digital Age
While it’s becoming more achievable to pursue a career as an influencer or TV personality, when it comes to career longevity, times are tough.
Competition is growing, attention spans are shortening, and cancel culture is on the rise. 51% of Americans believe cancelling someone is an effective way of driving social change (1).
This combination of challenges means those working in traditional and social media face the unsettling reality that a long-lasting career in media is never guaranteed.
Advice for PR Teams: How to Use Exposed Person Checks to Protect Careers
How often do we hear of a celebrity being cancelled for old Tweets they’d forgotten to take down? By investigating the online history of public figures, PR teams can ensure all publicly available content is safe, professional, and appropriate. As a result, careers are strengthened, and reputations are boosted.
Here’s how to make the most of our innovative checks.
Educate your public figures on Exposed Person Checks
The misconceptions surrounding Social Media Checks for the media industry are endless. Educating the influencers and celebrities associated with your team ensures they understand the dangers of unchecked online activity and ultimately reap the rewards of proactive risk mitigation.
Incorporate Social Media Checks into your policies
Including Exposed Person Checks in your policies help your PR team stand out as safety-conscious, transparent, and trustworthy. This is not only beneficial for attracting public figures but also brands who want to work with risk-free online influencers and celebrities.
Keep the lines of communication open
Continuing with the theme of transparency, open communication is key. There is no reason that individuals working with your PR team cannot be involved in the Social Media Check process, from understanding why we use these checks to explaining their reasoning for old adverse content.
Ethical Considerations
It’s possible to take a safety-conscious approach to screening yet still stand firm on privacy. Our Exposed Person Checks keep ethics at the heart of the process by:
- Adhering to UK GDPR, the Equality Act 2010 and the Data Protection Act 2018
- Only screening publicly available information (no private messages or private accounts)
- Encouraging PR teams to gain the public figure’s consent before requesting a Social Media Check
- Not reporting on Protected Characteristics
Conclusion
Digital footprints can make or break careers. Managing risks, both old and new, is the only way to protect public figures’ careers against social media criticism.
Why not take the next logical step today and implement our ethical Exposed Person Checks into your risk mitigation strategy?
Contact us
Get in touch with us to learn more about our expert Social Media Checks:
Telephone: +44 333 210 1688
Email: info@sp-index.com
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