Tiahna Creo is a Social Media Consultant for NAMLE & a student at Boston University

What do you do?
I am NAMLE’s social media intern. I have gotten the opportunity to operate both NAMLE’s Instagram and Twitter accounts. When I started with NAMLE in January, I was predominately creating graphics and copy text for Instagram. More recently I have been working on copy text for posts and sourcing content for Twitter.
Tell us about your latest work or project in media literacy.
Lately, I have been working with NAMLE”s Twitter account. Having the agency to research and find content that is relevant for NAMLE’s audience has been a great challenge and teaching lesson for me. Working with Twitter has made me more resourceful with finding content and more deliberate with what I choose to post and choose not to post. Being able to adapt and pivot to NAMLE’s Twitter from Instagram has taught me a lot and I am grateful for the opportunity to operate both.
Why is media literacy important to you?
As someone who has grown up surrounded by social media, I felt the pressures and stress from it at a very young age. I think media literacy is so important — especially in schools — because kids are thrown into the social media landscape without the proper skills, and it can have harmful effects at their influential age. Media literacy has equipped me with the tools to differentiate between what I see on the internet and how it relates to me. It makes me think twice when I see a sensationalized headline and pause before I compare myself to some famous influencer. This is something that has greatly changed how I interact with media and lets me browse freely without feeling drained or overwhelmed.
What are you most excited about in the media literacy field?
I recently had the privilege to facilitate and participate in NAMLE’s annual conference. It was such an inspiring conference and it got me excited about what’s to come for media literacy and the discussions to be had. I especially found an interest in the intersections between media and mental health and am looking forward to participating in and being witness to more of these important conversations.
Why did you become a NAMLE member, what benefits do you see to membership, and how will it support your work?
I became a NAMLE member because it’s free and the resources you get from it are invaluable. I am a fourth-year media studies major and I have a lot of respect and admiration for the work that NAMLE does, as someone who hopes to build a career in the communications industry. Being a NAMLE member connects me to others who share the same beliefs and excitement about media in the future.
The views and opinions expressed in the M-Passioned Member blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NAMLE or its members. The purpose of the M-Passioned Member blog is to highlight our members and give them a place to share their reflections, opinions, and ideas.