--- title: "EP#26: The social media litmus test" description: Barbara Walsh is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. image: https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/GovComms-Facebook-Banner-768x432-3.png --- Talk to us [![fb](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/facebook-brands.svg)](https://www.facebook.com/govcinstitute) [![li](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/linkedin-brands.svg)](https://www.linkedin.com/company/govcomms-institute) [![tw](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/twitter-brands.svg)](https://twitter.com/govc_institute) [![in](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/instagram-brands.svg)](https://www.instagram.com/govcommsinstitute/) [![logo-white](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/logo-white.png?width=197&height=40&name=logo-white.png "logo-white")](https://contentgroup-19617054.hs-sites.com/home-2) [![GCI Horizontal Logo](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GCI%20%20Horizontal%20Logo.png?width=197&name=GCI%20%20Horizontal%20Logo.png "GCI Horizontal Logo")](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/the-social-media-litmus-test) - [Podcast](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast) - [About us](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/about) - [Contact us](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/contact) [Back to blog](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast) # EP#26: The social media litmus test [ Barbara Walsh](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/author/barbara-walsh)  | Nov 11, 2021 8:39:35 PM [Social Media](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/social-media), [David Pembroke](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/david-pembroke), [Barbara Walsh](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/barbara-walsh) ![](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hubfs/GovComms-Facebook-Banner-768x432-3.png) Barbara Walsh is a Senior Lecturer and Program Director in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the University of Canberra. Her specialized teaching and research interests lie in areas of integrated learning, social responsibility, and corporate and strategic communication. Barbara’s 25-year career in public relations and corporate communications also includes working as an Account Director for PR Consultancies in Sydney and London, managing her own consultancy in Sydney, and several senior-level roles in the Australian Public Service. **Discussed in this episode:** - Is effective social media engagement a litmus test for how well communicators can do their job? And how this reflects on the intent of an organization to engage with citizens. Social media is a fast way to directly engage with citizens. But requires two-way trust and access to the right people for approval and support. - The characteristics of good communicators are those who are agile, opportunistic, have strong personal characteristics, and can engage at senior levels. - How entrenched views in senior levels of bureaucracy coupled with an increasing demand for transparency with citizens, means communicators need to argue their case for social media channels as part of the suite of channels. - UC is helping create career-ready graduates with practical integrated learning, providing students with relevant education while embedding them in practical industry environments. - Academics need to stay on top of changes and stay ahead of students, and industry needs to stay relevant and continue moving towards specializations. This changes the way academics teach and the way degrees are built as students move into evolving communications roles. - And, the age-old challenge of embedding communications at the start of the process. Speaking the language of senior executives – risk appetite, governance, benefits – and the need to reshape how we talk about the role of communicators. For example, look at how behavioral scientists are taking on a communications role and establishing credibility. Can communicators create credibility using tools or methodology? --- ###### About the Author Barbara Walsh ### On the same subject ### [EP#67 - Get the lawyers involved early](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/get-the-lawyers-involved-early) [Shaun Creighton](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/author/shaun-creighton) [Social Media](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/social-media), [David Pembroke](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/david-pembroke), [Shaun Creighton](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/shaun-creighton), [Intellectual Property Law](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/intellectual-property-law) ### [EP#163: Managing High-Stakes Events and Data Driven Government Communication](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/ep163-managing-high-stakes-events-and-data-driven-government-communication) [GovComms Institute Team](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/author/govcomms-institute-team) ### [EP#44: The evolution of media](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/the-evolution-of-media) [Kerry Mccallum](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/author/kerry-mccallum) [Social Media](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/social-media), [David Pembroke](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/david-pembroke), [Public Affairs](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/public-affairs), [Kerry Mccallum](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/podcast/tag/kerry-mccallum) [![GCI Horizontal Logo](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/hs-fs/hubfs/GCI%20%20Horizontal%20Logo.png?width=200&height=41&name=GCI%20%20Horizontal%20Logo.png "GCI Horizontal Logo")](https://blog.govcommsinstitute.com/) A global platform for government communicators. - SITE MAP - [Home](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com) - [About us](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/about) - [Contact us](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/contact) - LEGALS - [Privacy Policy](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/pirivacy-policy) - [Terms & Conditions](https://www.govcommsinstitute.com/terms-and-conditions) - CONTACT US - [+61 2 6273 0232](tel:+61%202%206273%200232) - [govcomms.institute@contentgroup.com.au](mailto:govcomms.institute@contentgroup.com.au) - [Level 3, 2 Mort Street, Canberra, ACT 2601 GPO Box 2381, Canberra, ACT 2601](https://goo.gl/maps/4iAFuvdJ1KbTe28CA) - Copyright © 2020 contentgroup Theme designed by [Markentive](https://www.markentive.com/)