Certificate course
Responsible Social Media and Influencing
The ethical responsibilities that come with online reach: disclosure, honest endorsement, audience trust, vulnerable followers, algorithmic incentives, sustainability claims and AI-generated content.
This certificate is one of six that support Media Card applications. The Media Card is administered by EurAV European Audio Visual CLG, not by EANE.
See all six courses in this collection ≈ 77 minutes total11 credits to earn the certificate
Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion, learners will be able to:
- ▸Disclose commercial relationships clearly and consistently
- ▸Make honest recommendations and resist unsupported claims
- ▸Protect vulnerable parts of your audience and moderate responsibly
- ▸Recognise the environmental and behavioural consequences of what you promote
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Compulsory modules · all 11 required
Reach, trust and responsibility: what an audience actually is
A follower count is a number; an audience is a relationship built on trust. This module explains why responsibility follows influence, not headcount.
Parasocial trust and the duty not to exploit it
Why followers feel they know you, how that one-sided closeness can be exploited in selling and in crisis, and which boundaries protect both you and your audience.
Disclosure: advertising, gifting and paid partnerships
How to disclose advertising, gifts and paid partnerships so clearly that a viewer scrolling at normal speed cannot reasonably miss it.
Affiliate marketing and recommendation integrity
How affiliate links work, why commission can quietly shape what you recommend, and how to disclose it and protect the honesty of your recommendations.
Endorsing honestly: products you have and haven't used
How to give honest endorsements: matching claims to what you have tested, avoiding borrowed enthusiasm, declining weak offers and correcting endorsements you regret.
Children, teenagers and vulnerable audiences
How to work out who is really watching, and how to adapt commercial content, body-image material, children's appearances and family consent when the audience is young.
Algorithms, engagement bait and sensationalism
Recommendation systems reward attention, not accuracy or care. This module shows how that shapes content and how creators can resist the pull towards distortion.
Harassment, moderation and community responsibility
How to run a comment section, handle pile-ons and abuse, protect guests and contributors, and look after yourself, without making the harm worse.
Consumption, fast fashion and sustainability claims
How to feature products and lifestyles honestly: haul culture, the lifecycle of cheap goods, vague green claims, and what to ask a brand before a monthly haul deal.
AI-generated content and creator transparency
How to use AI in captions, scripts, images and voices while keeping your audience accurately informed, and what to do when an AI image is passed off as a photograph.
Getting it wrong in public: correcting at speed and scale
How to correct a false or misleading post after it has spread: when to delete, how to reach the people who saw it, apologising plainly, and rebuilding trust.