Through an anthropological lens: the role of the strategic communicator

In the cycle of culture influencing media and vice versa, strategic communicators must think critically.

Culture and digital media are undeniably linked. Our cultures, along with their social inequalities and biases, show up within and are reinforced by the digital media we create. This relationship in mind, strategic communicators– professionals who dedicate themselves to digital media communications– play a powerful role in replicating human culture in digital spaces. With that, comes responsibility.

It is common to hear concerns about how digital media is shaping modern culture. Digital devices and platforms have rapidly become an assumed feature of most people’s daily lives. With people spending more time connected to the digital world, conversations about mental health, attention spans, and changes in human behavior are increasingly popular.

However, it is important to remember that digital media is man-made, and therefore is, itself, a product of human culture.

So what is the role of professional strategic communicators within this system?

Professional communicators have a responsibility to think critically about the digital systems in which they produce their work and draw attention to potential misrepresentation within them.

Because they help produce digital media spaces and conversations, strategic communicators must consider themselves as space curators in the culture/digital media system. When a communicator contributes to a digital space, they bring their own biases and cultural experiences with them. It is important, then, to acknowledge this perspective throughout their work.

Additionally, communicators have the unique opportunity to shine a light on the misrepresentations of digital media and communication. Circling back to the discussion of oppressive algorithms, communicators can insert research like this into the public consciousness of their consumers, raising awareness that our digital system is not inherently “fair.”

For journalists, this may look like investigative storytelling. For public relations professionals and advertisers, it might be more segmented: acknowledging digital shortcomings in a mission statement, critically choosing which search engines and databases to use for audience research, and/or sharing a professional biography within your organization or professional profiles that acknowledges the cultural background you come from.

Despite how they may choose to contribute to the conversation of how cultural biases and norms influence digital space, it is essential for professional communicators to recognize and acknowledge that their strategic choices play a role in maintaining moldable, human-produced digital spaces.

March 2, 2023