Social Media Communication Research Articles

Social Media Political Communication and Misinformation: A Case Study of the Youth in Kiambu County, Kenya

Social media in recent times has proven to be extremely persuasive in influencing the public’s opinion on political affairs. Since 2007, election campaigns have actively utilized several social media platforms in Kenya for communicating with, mobilizing, and organizing supporters. Politicians and political activists along with their parties make maximum use of it to interact and provide civic education to the public. However, few written materials are available on how Kenyan youth, particularly those who live in Kiambu County, use social media for political engagement. The objective of this research is therefore to explore patterns as well as practices characterizing social media use by young people in Kiambu County and how this affects their political involvement and discourse. This research is guided by Habermas’s Theory of the Public Sphere, which asserts that public political discourse that is free from government interference is important for creating functional democracies. Social media, which acts as a public sphere, can allow the youth to engage in political discussions and other civic activities. The research employs a descriptive research design, utilizing an online survey as the primary tool for data collection, administered via Survey Monkey. The research’s target population includes young people enrolled in institutions of higher learning in Kiambu County who use social media for communication. The sample size was determined based on the number of university students in Kiambu County. It utilized stratified random sampling on a target population of 115,330 to draw a sample of 380 youths using a Survey Monkey online sample calculator with a 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error. Initially, a pilot study was conducted on 10% of the sample, which is 38 respondents, to ascertain the reliability of the research instruments, eventually, from the 342 surveys sent out, 224 were completed and returned. For data analysis, Microsoft Excel was utilized in coding and organizing the data to create tables and graphs. The findings showed that X was the respondents' most used platform for political discourse. Most respondents were aware of and engaged in political discussions on social media, and believed that social media influenced their political attitudes and beliefs. Although most viewed social media as a source of civic education, they were skeptical about its reliability due to misinformation. The study concludes that many youths in Kiambu County are actively participating in political discussions online and therefore it recommends that better education should be provided to help the youth discern credible information from misinformation. Additionally, interventions should be established to curb digital crimes like cyberbullying and online fraud.

Unveiling Climate Consciousness: Assessing Perceptions based on Social Media and Mass Communication Strategies among Balochistan University Students

Unveiling Climate Consciousness: Assessing Perceptions based on Social Media and Mass Communication Strategies among Balochistan University Students

Fictional populists running for the office and parodying elections: Qualitative analysis of the three case studies’ social media communication

Fictional populists running for the office and parodying elections: Qualitative analysis of the three case studies’ social media communication

Case Study on Different Types of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Communication on Social Media and Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Brand Identification in the Dairy Industry of China

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communication on social media has become an important way for companies to attract and maintain customers. As a highly interactive communication channel, social media provides companies with opportunities to showcase their CSR initiatives and corporate values. However, different types of CSR communication often have different communication effects. This study reviews previous research on the relationship between CSR communication, brand identification and brand loyalty, highlighting the theoretical foundations and empirical research. After that, a survey research method was used to collect data through questionnaires, and the data were statistically analyzed using SEM-PLS to verify the existence and extent of the mediating role. The research findings indicate that both societal CSR communication and environmental CSR communication have direct and indirect effects on brand identification and brand loyalty, respectively. However, despite the direct positive correlation observed between customer-related CSR communication and brand loyalty, neither the direct relationship with brand identification nor the indirect relationship through brand identification to brand loyalty was supported. This study combines the relationships between different types of CSR communication in social media, brand identification and brand loyalty and focuses on the mediating role of brand identification. It can be devoted to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for companies to develop more targeted CSR communication strategies.

Why Do Park Visitors Engage With Social Media for Peer-to-Peer Information?

Park visitors are increasingly gravitating toward peer-to-peer sources of information on social media to prepare for their visit to nature parks. This has significant implications for park safety and management. The current study utilizes the Theory of Consumer Values and Crompton’s Push and Pull Theory as the theoretical lens. This research presents a thematic analysis of 19 interviews with participants who visited a nature park in Western Australia and engaged with social media communities to seek park-related information in the past 12 months. Six themes were identified related to the motivators and barriers for park visitors to seek park-related information from social media communities. They are: (1) destination planning and activities information; (2) access to real-time information; (3) source credibility; (4) social interactions and influences; (5) entertainment; (6) novelty. The findings provide significant managerial insights for park agencies and managers to optimize their social media communication of park-related information.

Assembling Cities in Contemporary Discursive Practices

The article presents issues that reflect modern strategies and tactics for constructing a holistic image of a city. The so-called assembly (reassembly) is executed in response to the challenges of a scattered, fragmented, decentralized, hybrid city, but a developing city nonetheless. We reveal several types of “assembly”, depending on who the “outlook collectors” are: each time these are either those who generally approve of the policies of the powers that be, or opposition-minded bloggers, popular leaders of urban communities; or members of research groups. The authors consider the city as a dynamic system that forms many vectors of development and makes for diversity of urban discourse. The article proves that in the media three types of discourse compete in the city space: the discourse of sustainable development, critical urbanism, as well as a softer version referred to as the discourse of new urbanism. We conduct subject analysis of texts and statements made by members of social media communities (from three Siberian cities: Novosibirsk, Barnaul, Tomsk), who conduct spatial development audits and offer their own scenarios for putting together a city. The role and the importance are shown of virtual assemblies, which, if social media communities are anything to go by, can lead to creating actual assemblies and to the interaction of all city actors in the process of transforming space, to revising the modes of involvement of citizens in process of designing urban life. Discussions related to putting together a city may also slow down the process of implementing urban projects and hamper practices of further developing cities that are considered historical settlements. Moreover, citizens’ demands for an authentic urban space that can be called genuine and historic are often neglected by government officials. Each of the analyzed cities demonstrates its own unique set of institutional mechanisms and interactions of participants in decision-making arenas that are a product of a certain unique cultural, social, political and historical context.

Social Media and Political Communication in Ghana: Views of Inhabitants of Tema Metropolis

Though political parties are increasingly adopting social media to increase voter support, the efficacy of social media campaign strategies in enhancing political fortunes remains a subject of discussion in Ghana. This study explored the views of Ghanaians on the use of social media campaign strategies as a political communication tool. In all, 384 social media users who are voters residing within the Tema Metropolis participated in the study. Data was obtained using a questionnaire and analyzed descriptively. The study observed that Ghanaian political parties have a strong presence on social media. Again, Ghanaian political parties effectively rely on social media platforms to engage electorates. Also, they effectively use social media distribute creative and visually appealing contents about their policies and achievements to the electorates. Further, they adopt campaign-specific hash tags which are creative, memorable, catchy, and engaging to help them to capture attention of voters. The study concludes by accentuating the need for political parties to employ social media for constructive dialogue and engagement with voters to amplify the impact of social media campaigns on the political fortunes in Ghana. Finally, practical implications of the findings have been provided to facilitate effective application of social media campaign strategies for democratic governance.

The Circular Economy and Elements of Consumer Behaviour using the SPSS Method

Consumer behaviour encompasses a myriad of factors that influence individuals, groups or companies their requirements and fulfilment of preferences materials, services or acquisition of experiences, using and relating to disposal how decisions are made. This multifaceted phenomenon is shaped by various elements, including psychological factors like perception, motivation, and attitudes. Additionally, socio-economic factors, Income, Education and Social status etc. purchasing power and in determining options play a significant role. Cultural influences, including values, norms, and traditions, further impact consumer choices. Moreover, technological advancements and the rise of digital platforms have transformed how consumers gather information and interact with products. Understanding these elements is crucial for businesses aiming to tailor their marketing strategies effectively and create products or services that resonate with their target audience. Research on consumer behaviours is of paramount significance in both academia and practical business applications. This understanding is instrumental for businesses in crafting effective marketing strategies, developing products that resonate with their target audience, and maintaining competitive advantages. The market involves categorizing and dividing consumers based on various criteria. This process helps businesses comprehend consumer behaviours, enabling them to efficiently target specific groups distinct groups with similar preferences and behaviours, companies can tailor their products, services, and marketing strategies to target specific segments, thereby increasing the likelihood of success. Product Development and Innovation Consumer behaviour research assists in determining optimal Pricing strategies. Consumers how they perceive value and price and between quality how to trade that they undertake understanding, consumers as per expectations Set prices allowing businesses. Consumer behaviour research market segment niche plays a role, businesses Specific consumer groups Identify and target Allows you to keep tailored offerings. Moreover, it provides insights into consumer preferences, enabling businesses to adapt to changing market trends and consumer demands. This research is invaluable for mitigating risks associated with consumer reactions to changes in products, pricing, or marketing tactics. Ultimately, a deep understanding of consumer behaviour is an essential tool for businesses seeking to thrive and innovate in today's dynamic and competitive business landscape. Emotions and Mood, Time and Convenience, Technology and Digital Influence, Social Media and Online Communities, Cultural Shifts and Trends, Privacy Concerns and Data Security and Crisis and External Events. the Cronbach's Alpha Reliability result. The overall Cronbach's Alpha value for the model is .744 which indicates 74% reliability. From the literature review, the above 50% Cronbach's Alpha value model can be considered for analysis.

Impact of Crisis and Resilience Communication on Destination Image and Tourists Behaviour

Resilience communication is a fundamental tool for destinations to improve their image and recover after a crisis. Social media are also important tools for tourism communication and for creating tourist experiences and destination image. Therefore, social media are key tools for crisis communication. Based on a series of hypotheses, this paper proposes a conceptual model of crisis communication management that responds to the need to establish a set of premises related to resilience communication in the tourism sector. The empirical analytical study consisted of the quantitative analysis of the results of a survey questionnaire applied to test the hypotheses based on the formulation of a structural equation model. The results demonstrate the importance of social media communication in Perceived Health Risk (PHR) and its effect on perceived impressions, destination image, and related behavioral responses (Destination Recommendation, DR, and Visit Intention, VI). The four hypotheses in the research model have been confirmed, as the effects are statistically significant in a sample of posts analyzed, and the selected items explain every one of the factors. Specifically, the analysis shows that PHR negatively affects Destination Image (DI) and, in a stronger way, Post Impression (PI). Secondly, PI and DI influence one another and covary to some extent. Moreover, the overall DI, which has been affected by PHR, in turn affects DR and VI, demonstrating that PHR in communication ultimately influences DR and VI negatively too. Finally, is also verified both DR and VI are related and covary as intrinsic behavioral aspects related to DI. Resilience communication is a basic tool for destinations to improve their image and recover after a crisis and this research contributes to the literature on the subject by analyzing the impact of this communication on tourists, and specifically on destination image.

Consensus Subspace Graph Regularization based on prior information for multiplex network clustering

Multiplex network clustering can identify the common cluster structure shared by all layers, which is of great significance for downstream research such as personalized recommendations of social relationships and the mining of social media communication behaviors. Traditional multiplex network clustering methods rely only on the topological structure and are suitable for networks with clear structures. However, real-world networks often suffer from sparse connectivity and noisy edges. In addition, the current methods based on prior information only use the obtained consensus prior information as a preprocessing method for multiplex networks, and do not fully utilize and integrate the prior information in the clustering process, resulting in a low accuracy. To solve the problem of insufficient utilization of prior information, we propose a Consensus Subspace Graph Regularization (CSGR) approach for multiplex network clustering, which integrates topological information with the consensus prior information of a network. We first construct the consensus prior matrix of a network by a non-overlapping greedy search method, which represents a subset of the network that consists of nodes with high edge density. Then we construct a graph regularization term, which encodes the consensus prior information, to optimize the generation of a joint low-dimensional representation within the consensus subspace for the entire multiplex network. Finally, we employ the consensus prior matrix to denoise each network layer, thereby yielding a precise low-dimensional representation of each layer for consensus subspace fusion. In addition, comprehensive experiments have demonstrated that CSGR improves the clustering accuracy of real-world networks by an average of 1.56%.

Mapping of Government’s Communication Strategies in the COVID-19 Era on Social Media

This study explores the changing government communication methods throughout the unusual COVID-19 epidemic, with a focus on using social media as the main instrument for engaging with the public. We utilize a bibliometric methodology, examining an extensive dataset of articles obtained from journals indexed in Scopus. Using VOSviewer software, we provide a visual representation of the main theme clusters in this research. NVivo 12 Plus also supports word cloud analysis, which allows for the discovery of commonly used phrases and patterns within the analyzed material. The results of study reveals a range of communication strategies adopted by governments globally in response to the pandemic. These measures involve promoting communication in both directions, utilizing social media platforms to spread information, and using efficient strategies to communicate risks. The data demonstrates a predominance of research that specifically examines risk communication driven by the government, emphasizing its vital role in crisis management. In addition, the VOSviewer mapping reveals the presence of four unique theme clusters. The "government communication" cluster focuses on subjects such as communication strategy, the ongoing epidemic, the challenge of fake news, and the influence on public anxiety. These areas are key to the research and investigation within this cluster. This comprehensive analysis illuminates the complex correlation between social media communication techniques and successful public health actions amidst a worldwide crisis.

Social Media Communication Strategy of Al-Izzah Campus Da'wah Institute UIN North Sumatra in Optimizing the Spread of Islamic Values on Social Media

This research aims to investigate how the communication strategy of the Al-Izzah UIN North Sumatra Campus Da'wah Institute (LDK) maximises the dissemination of Islamic ideals on social media. The research employed a descriptive qualitative research method. Qualitative research methods employ scientific techniques to elucidate a phenomenon by comprehensively summarising data and facts using language, with respect to the subject of study. The data collecting methods employed were interviews and observations of dakwah content on the LDK Al-Izzah UINSU Instagram social media account. The research incorporates the theories of New media proposed by Pierre Levy, the impact of dakwah on social media, and communication methods utilising SWOT analysis. The primary findings of this study reveal the effectiveness of utilising distinctive and innovative dakwah content, such as humorous videos, to captivate and engage the audience in the dakwah message. Furthermore, the deficiency in disseminating dakwah content on social media stems from a scarcity of manpower and the utilisation of rudimentary instruments for making dakwah content, hence leading to subpar outcomes in the created dakwah video content. Furthermore, there are potential to disseminate Islamic ideals on social media platforms, particularly through the emerging trend of providing innovative and contemporary preaching content. Furthermore, the Al-Izzah Campus Da'wah Institute faces a hindrance in disseminating Islamic ideals on social media due to the removal of parts of their dakwah content on LDK Al-Izzah's social media platforms.

Cutting through the noise to motivate people: A comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 social media posts de/motivating vaccination

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed significant weaknesses in the healthcare information system. The overwhelming volume of misinformation on social media and other socioeconomic factors created extraordinary challenges to motivate people to take proper precautions and get vaccinated. In this context, our work explored a novel direction by analyzing an extensive dataset collected over two years, identifying the topics de/motivating the public about COVID-19 vaccination. We analyzed these topics based on time, geographic location, and political orientation. We noticed that while the motivating topics remain the same over time and geographic location, the demotivating topics change rapidly. We also identified that intrinsic motivation, rather than external mandate, is more advantageous to inspire the public. This study addresses scientific communication and public motivation in social media. It can help public health officials, policymakers, and social media platforms develop more effective messaging strategies to cut through the noise of misinformation and educate the public about scientific findings.

Tactile emoticons: Conveying social emotions and intentions with manual and robotic tactile feedback during social media communications.

Touch offers important non-verbal possibilities for socioaffective communication. Yet most digital communications lack capabilities regarding exchanging affective tactile messages (tactile emoticons). Additionally, previous studies on tactile emoticons have not capitalised on knowledge about the affective effects of certain mechanoreceptors in the human skin, e.g., the C-Tactile (CT) system. Here, we examined whether gentle manual stroking delivered in velocities known to optimally activate the CT system (defined as 'tactile emoticons'), during lab-simulated social media communications could convey increased feelings of social support and other prosocial intentions compared to (1) either stroking touch at CT sub-optimal velocities, or (2) standard visual emoticons. Participants (N = 36) felt more social intent with CT-optimal compared to sub-optimal velocities, or visual emoticons. In a second, preregistered study (N = 52), we investigated whether combining visual emoticons with tactile emoticons, this time delivered at CT-optimal velocities by a soft robotic device, could enhance the perception of prosocial intentions and affect participants' physiological measures (e.g., skin conductance rate) in comparison to visual emoticons alone. Visuotactile emoticons conveyed more social intent overall and in anxious participants affected physiological measures more than visual emoticons. The results suggest that emotional social media communications can be meaningfully enhanced by tactile emoticons.

Public attention to Indonesian dynastic politics: an analysis of social media networks

ABSTRACT This research aims to identify and map social networks on social media We took a dataset from as the unit of analysis. We did data mining from X to collect 19,231 Tweets, 20,023 re-tweets, and 11,890 nodes and 9466 edges. The research results concluded that the communication network map on social media X identified the Gibran node which has intermediary factors and relationships as well as the actor with the most centrality and is a link to other actors in the social media communication network X by becoming the trending topic ‘Gibran’. The communication network metrics graph also found the ‘Gibran’ account to be the actor with the most contacts on ‘X’. The ‘Jokowi’ account was the second most contacted. This research found a gap in the need to expand the analysis to different cultures or countries to understand differences and similarities in social interaction patterns. Another gap in this research exists in terms of expanding the analysis to different topics or communities to gain a broader understanding of social network dynamics.

Social media communication and public engagement in different health crisis stages: The framing of COVID-19 in Chinese official media

Effective government social media communication plays a crucial role in mitigating public panic amid various public health crises, such as the H1N1 pandemic, the Ebola epidemic, the Zika epidemic, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A research gap exists in investigating government official social media communication strategies and effects on public engagement at specific COVID-19 crisis stages. This study examines the COVID-19 communication strategies the Chinese government used and the corresponding effects on public engagement at different COVID-19 crisis stages on social media. The Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication Model, Framing Theory, and Situational Crisis Communication Theory are combined to develop a conceptual framework. Content analysis and coding were performed on two dimensions: health content theme (four sub-dimensions) and transparent communication style (three sub-dimensions). Public engagement was measured by the number of shares, comments, and likes. The results indicate a strong need for disease prevention information at the initial event/maintenance and resolution stages, while reassurance and government actions are highly valued at the resolution stage. Interactive features promote public engagement in key crisis stages.

Fandom as Method: Decolonising Research on Social Media Communications Through Chinese Transnational Fandoms of a Japanese Olympic Figure Skater

This paper focuses on international sports personality in figure staking Yuzuru Hanyu, who plays for Japan, and his transnational fandoms in China, to examine the politicisation of his evolving fandom during and after his performance at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Our contribution is to illustrate the value of analysing fandoms in the Chinese social media as a method that seeks to advance a decolonised approach to communication studies. This study uses digital ethnography to collect data and conducts critical thematic analysis to illustrate the complexity of socially mediated fandom debates and flames. Consulting interdisciplinary literature in sports fandom and communication, athletic branding, and political communication, we propose a fresh critical approach to Chinese communication studies, which we have conceptualised as “fandom as method.” We offer a case study to illustrate this critical approach, which we argue is a contribution to decolonising scholarship by promoting inclusivity of alternative approaches, in communication studies in the global south. “Fandom as method” can excavate new terrain, rather than simply adding to West-centric theoretical advances. Findings underscore that critically analysing the complex interplay between fans, anti-fans, and the authorities through “fandom as method” can reveal previously undetected communication patterns. More importantly, fandom as method can help us interrogate the nuances of communications situated within complex, dynamic, evolving patriotic and nationalistic social media discourses. This approach helps to explicate opaque clashes of “mainstremeist belief and action” in the name of patriotism and nationalism which, in the Chinese context, are subject to intervention from the authorities as the ultimate other. It reveals how social media activity politicises a sports personality, a fandom trend that seems likely to spill over into other spheres of the entertainment industry.

Use of Social Media in Disaster Management: Challenges and Strategies

Studies on social media (SM) and disaster management (DM) have mainly focused on the adaptation, application, and use of SM in each stage of DM. With the widespread availability and use of SM, the effective utilisation of SM in DM is impeded by various challenges but not yet comprehensively researched. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the challenges as well as the strategies to overcome the challenges and categorises them into a classified model. This study adopts a systematic literature review to present and analyse the challenges and strategies for using SM in DM. Utilising prominent databases, 72 publications were carefully selected and analysed qualitatively using content analysis. The findings revealed four key challenges to its users: the spread of misinformation; insufficient human resources to manage SM use; the lack of trust in information and authorities; and the poor information quality and content of messages. This study identified several strategies to overcome challenges, which can be classified into three sectors of the SM community: individuals, organisations, and SM companies. These findings contribute to enhancing the effective utilisation of SM in DM by community practitioners. Furthermore, this study provides insight into the current status of knowledge and identifies the research gaps around SM in DM for future research.

“Resident superhero”

Abstract Situated at the intersection of social media communication and pragmatics of language use online, this article will examine the social action of community veneration of a local plumber by members of a neighbourhood Facebook group, the vast majority of whom do not know each other personally (nor necessarily the plumber). Particular attention will be paid to the way in which this veneration is constructed over time through linguistic creativity and humour, such as limericks, exaggeration, and various terms of reverence and hero worship. In addition to these linguistic devices, it will be shown how the participants actively exploit the digital environment to create context-dependent humour through emojis, memes, and other graphics. The selected examples will illustrate how this collaborative veneration and playfulness also strengthen the sense of belonging in this group of online strangers.

DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES IN ONLINE NEWS PUBLISHER INDUSTRY (A Case Study In Kapanlagi Youniverse)

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the condition of online news publisher industry both in term of economic and existence. The aim of this research is to find out the condition of social media communication strategy KapanLagi Youniverse as a media group in Indonesia for strengthening brand equity. The theoretical foundation of this research is using the Circular Model of SoMe for Social Communications and Brand Equity’s dimension Theory. The research method that will be used in this research is qualitative research with the design of a study case, which the data collected by interview and observation. The result of this research shows that in the pandemic situation KapanLagi Youniverse (KLY) could rise through strengthening their existence as a media group in Indonesia. Social media communication strategy of KapanLagi Youniverse uses the aspect of share (cross platform social media and type of content), optimize (PESO model), manage (media monitoring and user experience), and engage (interactivity and media community approach) in strengthening brand equity. Keywords: Social Media Communication Strategy, Online News Publisher Industry, Brand Equity, Pandemic