Campbell grad explains social media role in military to comm studies students

Photo: Brandon Bridges ’07, second from left on first row, with students in the Department of Communication Studies.

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BUIES CREEK — A 2007 graduate of Campbell University’s Department of Communication Studies spoke to students Thursday on his role as social media manager for the 48 nations involved in the military mission in Afghanistan.

Brandon Bridges, a December 2007 graduate, talked to students all day about his role with the International Security Assistance Force overseas.

“We use Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr to tell the story that we are winning,” Bridges told students in a variety of classes.

Dr. J. Dean Farmer, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, invited Bridges to speak to help students understand the crucial role of social media in storytelling.

“He’s one of ours and he’s a good example,” Farmer said following one of Bridges’s presentations that included nearly the entire department over four classes Thursday. “He represents what we teach and what we value to diverse groups.”

Senior Kena Hawkins noted that institution such as the military only solve problems insomuch as the public believes that problems are being solved. The proper use of persuasive communication can help move audiences to change their perceptions of the situation in this instance by helping demonstrate to both the Afghan and American people the good being done by each country’s military.

Bridges said he uses the Afghan press to help his Twitter followers and others sense that Afghanistan is more than dust and rubble.

Following graduation, Bridges worked at a psychological operations battalion at Fort Liberty using training from classes in the Department of Communication Studies in his capacity as a Digital Media Archivist.

After gaining security clearances, he moved from psychological warfare into a role in the public affairs office.

Senior Emily Tadlock found the presentations instructive. “The presentation helped students see that public relations can be an influence for good,” she said.

The Campbell University Department of Communication Studies is a comprehensive undergraduate communication department offering tracks and concentrations in Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Communication Generalist, Communication Pre-Law, Digital and New Media Communication, Health Communication, Journalism and Storytelling, and Public Relations and Organizational Communication — all taught in accordance with the Campbell University Mission Statement in the classic liberal arts tradition.