Communication, Media and Consumerism

Yes.  I am on faculty at the University of Tennessee.  And, yes, I've been "caught up" in all the happenings about diversity, inclusion, intrusion of legislators, and the so-called "war on Christmas."

I really didn't want to blog about it.  There is plenty of coverage in the local press, national media, and higher education publications.  But this morning I've come to realize that there are strong ties to things I DO what to blog about.

First, #communication.  Particularly in the context of how it is managed by university administrators.  My classical PR training says that the role of a public relations office is to manage communication between an organization and its publics.  In that context, it makes perfect sense that the office of communication should manage content for all of the most visible portions of the university's web presence.  So should it mange content for all vice chancellors?  At UT, the Provost's site already is managed by the communication office.  And now the Vice Chancellor for Diversity will also have his site managed by that office.  But what about the rest of the vice chancellors?  Should they be treated the same?

Second, #media and #consumerism.  Really liked a pieced in Inside Higher Ed this morning.  It's mostly about how the Puritans fought against celebration of Christmas.  But toward the end, the author notes that newspapers in the 1820s and 30s "began their campaign of Christmas advertising."  He also suggests that the "practically irresistible culture-shaping course of mass media and consumerism" that had come into play by the turn of the 20th century was, at least in part, responsible for eroding religious resistance to the holiday.  In another 100 or 200 years, what will thinkers say about our current media environment and its influence on consumerism?  Will social media, like mass media, have "culture-shaping" effects.

And now, to loop back to the start. Will social media improve diversity or further fragment our society?