Ownership

In social media, ownership means having control, responsibility, and authority over the content one creates and shares. It centers on the individual or organization’s completely in charge of the narrative they put forth. This isn’t just about making sure that what’s said on a platform is 'consistent' with the individual’s or entity’s real-world, offline values.

This is also about making sure that the English language is used properly in said platform posts, that visuals and videos complement rather than tarnish the individual’s or organization’s public image, and that anything and everything considered digital 'material' is lined up in a way that makes sense with whatever personal, professional, or brand message the individual or organization is sending out. Importantly, this handled-us-for-you, caricature of ownership doesn’t bring up any issues that might be related to intellectual property rights, which is a huge deal given all the digital material that is out in the public sphere. For individuals, ownership encompasses the entirety of what’s been outlined above.

For brands, ownership means having a better grasp on how to curate and protect one’s digital footprint. The stakes are higher for them because their 'messaging' has to resonate with larger, more varied audiences. Ownership can also be about privacy and security—who sees what and when, as well as the 'easier to ask for forgiveness than permission' world that holds up the alleged right to keep the hard and soft boundaries of one’s image intact.

Content-wise, ownership raises questions about who holds dominion over what’s shared on platforms—questions that are doubly important when it comes to discussing CITATIONS and making sure that folks who are posting, tweeting, streaming, etc. are doing so with the kind of thoroughness and thoughtfulness that breed trust and integrity in the online public sphere.