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While working toward acquiring my BA in Journalism, Facebook launched during my freshman year of college. During the four years that I studied media law, ethics, and copyright, Facebook had opened the floodgates, allowing anyone with an account access to share content online.
Publishing and content creation quickly evolved from a few big fish to an open ocean as online publishing expanded. Today online content creation is at its fastest rate in history. According to NPR, one in four people of Gen Z aspire to become a social media influencer and professionals across all industries are plugging into AI tools to quickly generate content.
If authenticity is important to your editorial goals, ask yourself three ethical questions before hitting publish:
Is it necessary? Audiences won't interact with content that doesn't provide value. Is there a purpose to the content that you're creating, or are you just posting because it's on your list? A high frequency of posts can make the numbers look good, until you take a closer look at the content analytics: the page views and engagement won't lie.
Is it true? Take a moment to fact-check with a reliable source before publishing and sharing with an audience. This includes AI-generated content, which may provide outputs that include misinformation and incorrect sources and quotes. Double check all of your facts and figures, including any that you may have pulled from the top of your head, or something often repeated and accepted as truth without verification.
Is it helpful? Wait until you have something helpful to share with your audience before publishing new content. Prioritize publishing content that serves others with entertainment or informational value.