Jason Edwards is one of the people behind the scenes of Southern’s social media accounts. After graduating with a B.S. in Journalism from Southern in 2021, Edwards transitioned from student worker to a full-time position with the Integrated Communications and Marketing team at Southern.
Interview by Sebastian Arbelaez, SCSU JRN ‘23. Answers were condensed and edited in 2022.
What is your current job and your responsibilities?
I oversee all the social media accounts here in the university, ranging from Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok. I hope to tell the story of our university through our accounts. My big thing is making our students feel like they are part of the community that we foster here. Our accounts are kind of telling the history of the university. So, five years down the line, you want to look back at the stuff you produce and say it’s reflective of the time it was produced. We have a media team here with myself, a media relations director, and our assistant director of public relations for social media. We are all contigent on each other to make sure those stories are told on a daily basis.
What’s the most useful social media platform for Southern?
I would have to say Instagram right now. Facebook five to 10 years ago, but now Instagram is taking over only because it’s photo and, now, video-centric platform
That is really critical to telling our story of being a public regional university that has accessibility and fits in with our social justice mission.
How did your time at Southern prepare you for your current job?
Being here on campus every day and working at Crescent magazine was a big part. Writing, meeting deadlines, taking photos. I was photo editor for Crescent magazine for a while. It really made me realize that journalism has a structure.
If it’s planned out well, you can produce content that is really meaningful, that tells a really powerful story.
Also my time here as a student photographer in this office was a great experience and allowed me to build connections and network with folks and build up my portfolio.
What is your ultimate career goal?
My ultimate career goal is in PR. I really like this field of work. I really like higher education: the fast pace of it and the ability to tell stories on different levels, from people getting an award to receiving a grant.
The thing that really intrigues me and keeps me going here is just the students, honestly. You never know who are you sitting next to in an educational environment, and getting those stories out always just keeps me inspired.