Why I Created The Social Media Frontline

I'm back in the office after a few days in Hafren Forest, which was exactly what I needed before getting properly stuck into September. There is something about getting away from your usual routine that gives you space to think and I've decided what I want to focus on and where I want to put my energy over the next few months.

I want to talk more about one of my programmes in particular - The Social Media Frontline.

The timing feels slightly serendipitous, as last night I saw a post from someone talking about the impact that online hostility had recently had on them and a member of their team. It's a reminder that these things don't just affect the person or organisation being talked about. There are real people behind the screens reading the comments, dealing with the messages and working out how to respond.

I've also had conversations with large charities recently who hadn't considered the impact that online hostility could have on the wellbeing of the people managing their social media. And in the last couple of weeks, multiple people have suggested that I should be talking about this in schools. And the more I think about it, the more I realise this is a conversation I need to have more often.

We talk a lot about reputational risk and managing a crisis online, but not enough about the people on the receiving end of it. Social media managers, comms teams and business owners are often expected to deal with hostility, abuse or backlash in real time, sometimes without any real guidance or support.

Online hostility doesn't always arrive as an obvious threat. Sometimes it's the pile-ons, the repeated messages, the sarcastic comments or the constant low-level negativity that slowly wears someone down.

And that's really why I created The Social Media Frontline. I want to help people and organisations think about these situations before they happen, put practical structures in place and make sure those behind the screen aren't left to rely on instinct when things become difficult.

It's also something that is becoming increasingly personal for me to talk about again, as December will mark 10 years since I witnessed a terror attack in Berlin and subsequently experienced a barrage of online trolling after speaking to the media about what had happened. (If you'd like more context you can watch my Tedx talk here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcSVQzycKcQ)

So, over the next few months, I'm going to share more about my own experience and what I've learned, as well as how charities, organisations and leaders can better prepare and protect the people managing their visibility online - through speaking, workshops, conversations with charity leaders and in schools too.

I'm working on the webpage for The Social Media Frontline at the moment so it's super clear how you can work with me - but bookmark this for the future https://www.roseleighmedia.co.uk/the-social-media-frontline and if you want to chat in the meantime. Drop me a message.