A caffeinated campus is a happy campus

This week I was visiting my home in NY and decided to take a tour of my good friend's campus. I love the collegiate atmosphere and it was nice to get a visual of where he spends his days, but my very favorite part was the coffee. Hidden in a side hallway with only one entrance was a tiny coffee shop that sold all of their caffeinated creations for under a dollar- I repeat, UNDER A DOLLAR.

I was beyond excited and took the opportunity to fuel up with one of their signature drinks. As we sat and chatted right outside the shop I noticed that only a few other students trickled through. How could this place not be constantly mobbed? When I asked my friend, he said that he hadn't even known the place existed until a few weeks ago. Clearly the place could benefit from a social media presence.

The first social media tool that I would use for the coffee shop would be Instagram. I think that sharing images of their new drinks or decorated chalkboard would spark student's interest and get them to come visit. By showing people what is at the end of that little hallway they would be more likely to visit it themselves, rather than just happening down there by chance. Also, based on my experience, the most common group on Instagram is young, college aged people who are looking to stay informed of cool things going on around them. The perfect audience to target at an active college campus.

Along with Instagram I think the shop could benefit from using Twitter. They could quickly share their specials, let people know what's going on at the shop, or just ask people to visit the secluded corner of the building. By giving small shout-outs the shop would be able to engage with their public and open communication between the store and their customers.

With Instagram and Twitter to share fast information or images, the coffee shop should also create a Facebook page where they could have more in-depth information. Who started the coffee shop? Why was it put in such an odd location? Who works there? By having a place to lead customers who are seeking more information the coffee shop is once again building connections with their audience and showing that they want to communicate with students and customers.

If they utilized these social media tools I could see the coffee shop having much more traffic and sales. By targeting the undergrad and grad students that visit the campus every day through social media the shop would be able to let people know who they are, what they do and why people should utilize their services. And let's not forget that everything is UNDER A DOLLAR! I know I would be a repeat customer if I was near that campus.

You're the expert...right?

I'll admit it. I am a nerd. I could watch the show 'How It's Made' for days, I wear Periodic Table of Elements TOMS and I love reading weird science articles online. But how do I know that what I'm reading is true?

The first step in my process to find factual science articles is to search reliable news outlets. This week I found an interesting article about studies conducted on ancient horse DNA through the New York Times' website.

I immediately believed the information that I was given because it was from a site that I feel has enough credibility to deserve my trust. From there, I researched the author to see why he should be considered an expert. As Kovach states in 'Blur,' "This implies not only knowing the sources and their supposed expertise but also the basis of their knowledge about a particular case. Credentials alone are insufficient" (2012, pg. 78). 

The first step was to just click on the author's name, which served as a link to other stories that he had written. There I found a list of other scientific articles about topics similar to the DNA research presented in the story I had just read. While it was clear that he had been published before, I wanted some more details on his education and background. The next step was to simply search his name online, which brought me to a short bio explaining his scientific research past and multiple books of his that had been published.

Based on his credentials, as well as his education and past career experience, I determined that the author was a credible source for information. I also noticed that the article had appeared in a printed copy of the Times a few days earlier, which made me believe it even more.

Why is it that I felt more inclined to believe the article after realizing that it had appeared in print? I think it's due to how our culture views the different sources. We see online communication as an open platform where anyone can share ideas and call them facts; whereas print journalism still has that air of holding themselves to a higher standard of truth and journalistic ethics.

Having the ability to share any and all information through online sources can be a good thing! It can open lines of communication, expose people to ideas that they otherwise would have never thought of and it can bridge geographical gaps between individuals all around the world. But it also makes anyone a 'journalist.' This means that as an audience we need to be careful with what sources we trust and which we simply view as entertainment. Looking at the article I read from the New York Times, I trust their information because they are also a prominent form of print media and all of the sources had both the credentials and background to call themselves experts in the field. Checking for these aspects has become a necessity, and as long as audiences are aware of these requirements they will be able to discern true stories from opinion pieces.

Kovach, B. and Rosenstiel, T. (2010). Blur: How to know what's true in the age of information overload. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.