Louisville Prof Prepares Students to Take On Social Media

The Social Network Show welcomes Dr. Karen Freberg and two of her students from the University of Louisville, Diana Riesenberg and Amanda Roberson.

Do you use social media in your job?  Are you interested in working as a social media expert?  Are you a Communications professor?  Then listen to our 3 guests share information on HootSuite University and its certification program in social media.  Dr. Karen Freberg, an Assistant Professor in Strategic Communication at the University of Louisville, offers her students the opportunity to become students of HootSuite University in conjunction with her classroom teaching. This program has turned out to be very beneficial to her students.

HootSuite University offers hands-on experience with social media education and social media certification. It teaches you and helps you manage several social media platforms at the same time. Hear the advantages of using a management platform and of getting certified.

What about privacy issues? Hear what the students are learning about this important topic.

If you want to learn more about online security issues, Dr. J recommends the 2013 documentary film, Terms and Conditions May Apply which is about the contractual terms of the user service agreements that we see on social networks and how corporations and government learn about us through internet and cell phone usage. She also recommends reading Who Owns the Future by Jaron Lanier.  Click here to listen as Professor Nancy S. Kim discussed some of the legal aspects involved on the show previously, starting at the 30:10 mark.

Karen Freberg is an assistant professor in Strategic Communications at the University of Louisville.  In addition to this teaching experience, Freberg has presented at several U.S. and international research conferences, including ones in the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, Greece, Italy, Spain, Turkey and China.

Dr. Freberg’s research has been published in several book chapters and in academic journals such as Public Relations Review, Teaching Public Relations, Journal of Contingency & Crisis Management, Journal of Strategic Security, Media Psychology Review, and Health Communication.  She also serves on the editorial board for Psychology for Popular Media Culture and Case Studies in Strategic Communication (CSSC).

Dr. Freberg earned a PhD in Communication and Information at the University of Tennessee in May 2011, and a Master’s degree in Strategic Public Relations at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California in August 2007. She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Public Relations at the University of Florida in August 2005.

To learn more about Dr. Karen Freberg, visit her website, visit her blog

Diana Riesenberg is a senior at the University of Louisville graduating in May with a Bachelors of Science in Communication. She is currently interning with the University of Louisville Athletic Department working with social media. She is interested in utilizing her strategic communication skill set to improve brand awareness and brand loyalty amongst different companies. After taking courses at Creative Alliance through UofL and also interning at a boutique advertising firm called Label-Conscious Branding, she is passionate about the creative work done with advertising agencies. Ideally, she would love to work for an ad agency in Louisville once she graduates. She firmly believes that social media has not only kept individuals connected but is a tool for brands to stay connected and engaged with their consumers. She hopes that the skills that she possesses in the integrated strategic communication field and as a digital native will improve brand engagement with consumers both on and offline while managing a strong/effective online social presence.

Amanda Roberson is a senior communication major at the University of Louisville. Her background in communications originally focused on journalism, but as the industry and her interests have evolved, she has decided to pursue public relations and social media marketing. She enjoys writing in any capacity, with a particular interest in blogging.