The Impact of Accounting Blogs: A Grumpy Perspective Anthony H. Catanach Jr Associate Professor at the Villanova School of Business and Fellow with the Cary M. Maguire Center for Ethics in Financial Services at the American College

What Am I Talking About Today? Today’s focus is primarily on informational and editorial blogs and how this social media can be used in today’s accounting classroom. Discuss how blogs can serve as a professional resource for faculty and how they can motivate and tie classroom content to the real world. Illustrate how linking blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn can add value to the accounting education experience and actually enable accounting instructors.

How and Why Did I Get Started? As a Maguire Fellow at the American College, I research and write about issues associated with ethical financial reporting and transparency.

But How Do You Get the Message Out in a Timely Fashion? Print media is a “thing of the past.” –Opinion editorials –Letters to the editor Social media is the new communication medium. Speed of change and information transfer and a global audience require use of this medium.

And so I became a blogger… Ed Ketz had invited me to join him as a columnist on Accounting SmartPros. Frequency and timeliness became an issue in spreading our ideas. –In case you hadn’t noticed, there is a LOT to write about in accounting and reporting these days. A PR firm at The American College planted the blogging seed…and the Grumpy Old Accountants blog was born.

Our goal is to promote a more public debate of important accounting and reporting issues. This past year we have penned over 75 essays, many of which can be used to stimulate classroom conversations and debates. Ours is an informational and editorial accounting blog.

Blogs as a Classroom Resource? Keep your classroom current with student attitudes toward communication. –Today’s students are “digital natives” in that they were born in a age in which computers and other technology are ubiquitous. Keep your classroom content current and relevant. Show (don’t just tell) your students how important accounting is to the public debate. An easy way to incorporate into your class…

This is the class session on internet company accounting…

Blogs as a Classroom Resource The good blogs include links to quality source documents…they don’t just opine, and can be used as reference lists for projects and assignments. Use selected blog postings to stimulate discussions and ideas for classroom projects as blogs can give students access to cutting edge examples of very technical content that people actually care about. And of equal importance, blogs can encourage and actually allow students to participate in the debate with professionals…students can share their opinions.

But blogging is not the whole story… While we can use blogs to communicate a message, social media can be used to spread it globally! Spread the “accounting gospel” to students, alumni, colleagues, parents, and the world using Twitter and LinkedIn.

Connect with the major accounting organizations and industry professionals. Source of current and reliable classroom content if you follow the “right” individuals. –Bloggers Tom Selling (Accounting Onion), Francine McKenna (re:Auditors), Sam Antar (White Collar Fraud and Crazy Eddie fame), and Going Concern –Bloomberg’s Cory Johnson and Jonathan Weil –CNBC’s Charles Gasparino and Herb Greenberg –Compliance Week –Information service on corporate compliance and risk –Footnoted – SEC filings, blogging, entrepreneurial journalism –Jim Edwards at Business Insider Twitter and the Educator

An excellent research tool. Typing keywords into Twitter’s search engine yields every microblog entry on the subject, providing an excellent way for students to research ideas, opinions and movements as they happen. Parents can follow the class through twitter feeds. Engage parents by allowing them to follow the instructor. Connect with students around the world and, and once again, students can post opinions. Connect with business professionals and journalists almost instantaneously (if they follow you), and potentially have your message spread to their followers.

LinkedIn and the Educator Share your classroom and research accomplishments and ideas with your alumni, colleagues, professional contacts, students, and others via groups. Join groups and contribute to the “debate.” My groups include the PICPA, CGMA, Villanova Alumni, Villanova MBAs, The American College, etc.

Other Social Media Benefits for the Educator If you blog and tweet, your “stock goes up” in the eyes of your students and administrators. –Students are less likely to “write you off” as the “out of touch” academic. –College administrators increasingly value marketing and branding opportunities. Your personal brand (and value) may increase via media contacts and consulting opportunities.

So, just maybe social media can add value to you and your classroom… Thank You For Your Time