Could Blogging Ever Be a Negative Thing?



However, it occurred to me the other day (as I was thanking my lucky stars to have found an employer who is so supportive of creativity and individuality) that there could be another danger.I was considering the possibility that expressing yourself through a public medium such as a blog MIGHT not always be the beneficial activity that we believe it is. What if your views on an industry-related topic conflicted with your employer’s?  Or perhaps even more consequential, your potential employer’s?  Even if you’re one of those people who make sure to clarify that your views are not necessarily those of your employer, the effects of this awkward situation might still be something that you have to deal with.

For example, say that you’re applying to work for an agency that specializes in consumer products and relies heavily on blogger outreach for media coverage. What would the implications be if you wrote a post in support of a blogger’s right to keep any form of compensation private, while the agency was very strict about keeping in compliance with all FTC regulations?  Would they think twice about hiring someone with such opposing views? (For the record, this is not a post about this issue).

Coming at this from another angle, I’ve seen a lot of agencies who are extremely reluctant to let their employees freely participate in social media, whether it be out of jealously or fear of another kind. Could being active on social media (maybe you’re even a Twilebrity!) limit your options of places to work?

I know that I’m posing a lot of questions, but I’m not sure I have the answers, and I was hoping to hear some thoughts from all of you. Have you ever experienced something like this?  Have you ever been reluctant to share an opinion online for this very reason? And on a more intense level, I ask you this- would you even CONSIDER working for an agency that didn’t embody your values or support your social media activities?

[reus id=”6″][recent posts]

Share on Tumblr