Third International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

As academics participate in social and digital spaces, the perils of alt-media become particularly visible and pronounced. The once hallowed notion of academic freedom, and related responsibilities of critical inquiry and thought creation, have increasingly come under fire when ideas are released into the public square of social media. Slow to adapt or change, centuries-old expectations drive academic culture, but examples of disruption arise in all ranks of the Academy when ideas are expressed in conversational tweets, posts, blogs, vlogs, and hashtag-driven oration gone amiss. The authors contend that despite messy and ill-conceived cases, not only is academic freedom more relevant now than ever in academic history, but that it is most relevant in the increasingly digital and social classroom of tomorrow. It is only under a twenty-first-century, consensus-driven understanding of academic freedom will we be able to frame sense-making and critical thought for our students. Working in the social-digital to establish a common and collaborative definition of the boundaries and protections needed to allow free participation, create critical thought leaders, and define a relevant place for the academy related to social media, the authors introduce their findings and suggest a framework for further, consensus-driven policy work.