When Kate Woodsome started her career more than 10 years ago, she didn’t share personal opinions with the world. But things are different in the age of social media.
“Facebook is now like the dinner table where my friends sit and talk – except it’s surrounded by open windows. Anyone can walk by, overhear the conversation and share it with others,” Woodsome says.
That reality jarred her during this month’s U.S. Supreme Court debate over same-sex marriage. When advocates turned Facebook into a sea of red squares with an equal sign, in support of gay marriage, Woodsome clicked the mouse on her home computer, joined the crowd, and immediately started agonizing over the professional implications.
Like any good writer, she morphed the episode into a blog post. It smartly details her experience, her feelings and, more importantly, it sparked a debate among her friends and editors about a critical issue facing journalists.
“I wanted to write something creative because I’ve gotten to the point in my career where different muscles need to be strengthened. This process is helping me explore authenticity. When you are authentic and vulnerable, people are able to connect to the story more fully. For some, it resonates more than a straight news story,” Woodsome says.
You can find her blog post on Digital Frontiers.
“Facebook is now like the dinner table where my friends sit and talk – except it’s surrounded by open windows. Anyone can walk by, overhear the conversation and share it with others,” Woodsome says.
That reality jarred her during this month’s U.S. Supreme Court debate over same-sex marriage. When advocates turned Facebook into a sea of red squares with an equal sign, in support of gay marriage, Woodsome clicked the mouse on her home computer, joined the crowd, and immediately started agonizing over the professional implications.
Like any good writer, she morphed the episode into a blog post. It smartly details her experience, her feelings and, more importantly, it sparked a debate among her friends and editors about a critical issue facing journalists.
“I wanted to write something creative because I’ve gotten to the point in my career where different muscles need to be strengthened. This process is helping me explore authenticity. When you are authentic and vulnerable, people are able to connect to the story more fully. For some, it resonates more than a straight news story,” Woodsome says.
You can find her blog post on Digital Frontiers.
