An Analysis of Social Media Usage by Public Relations Departments in Select Private Universities in Kenya.

Agnes Lucy Lando,Nyabera N Samwel

doi:10.37284/eajit.4.1.502

Abstract

This paper investigates the use of Social Media by Public Relations departments in two large private universities in Kenya. Social media are web-based applications where the creation of profiles and connections of people takes place. Social media use is constantly growing amongst organizations, as technology and globalization evolve, so do the role of Public Relations hence becoming inevitable in everyday practice. Despite the availability of social media platforms, little is known on how they are used to communicate. Contrariwise, the extant literature discloses that at present, there is moderately negligible research with focus on the use of social media in public relations in private organizations. This study is grounded on the outcomes of a research submitted in lieu of a Doctoral degree in Mass Communication at the St Augustine University of Tanzania involving 270 survey participants and 2 in-depth interviews. Data was generated using questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 23 whereas interviews were analysed thematically. Findings reveal that University K and St Paul University use social media to: publicize activities; send information to the public; change public opinion; enhance information value; lobby public support as well as to provide the public with a question-and-answer platform. This paper highlights need to pay more attention to the content and public’s need besides embracing other available social media tools and technologies to promote trust amongst the public and the organization. And also, need to devise means of adjusting to the inevitable changes regularly besides diverse approaches in strengthening PR practice and regulation.

Highlights

This paper investigates the use of Social Media by Public Relations departments in two large private universities in Kenya
This paper has investigated the use of Social Media in the Public Relations departments in Private Universities in Kenya
It is practical to settle that despite the fact that social media are significant in public relations in addition to communication studies in general

Summary

Introduction

This paper analyses the use of social media by Public Relations departments in two large private universities in Kenya. The paper is distributed into the following key sections: the background of the study; the methodology; the findings; the discussion besides, the conclusions. We concisely analyse the literature on use of social in public relations and present pertinent information on the Kenyan context. Social media encompasses online skills, rehearses, or else communities used by people in generating ideas plus sharing views, comprehensions, knowhows besides viewpoints with all (Television Bureau of Advertising, Inc, 2009). For the organization to succeed, there is a dire need to consider the key stakeholder’s opinions, for instance: the investors; the employees; the consumers; the stakeholders; and, other community associates in the organization’s locality

Methods

Results

Conclusion