scholarly journals Blurring Boundaries Between Journalists and Tiktokers: Journalistic Role Performance on TikTok

2022 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
María-Cruz Negreira-Rey ◽  
Jorge Vázquez-Herrero ◽  
Xosé López-García
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Young People ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Methodological Triangulation ◽  
Media Logic ◽  
The Moment

In recent years, media has adapted to the logic of each new social network to respond to renewed consumption habits and journalists have developed new roles on these platforms. TikTok is an emerging platform with its own influencer culture and in which the main audiences are the millennial and centennial generations. The main objective of this study is to analyze the presence of journalists on TikTok through the type of content and strategies used in adapting to this platform. The research is based on methodological triangulation. First, a database of journalists on TikTok (<em>n</em><sub>1</sub> = 212) was developed and the profiles were reviewed. Second, a questionnaire survey (<em>n</em><sub>2</sub> = 63) was developed. Finally, a content analysis (<em>n</em><sub>3</sub> = 520) of profiles exceeding 100,000 followers was conducted. This research provides a first description of the activity of journalists on TikTok, where a variety of roles, usages, and strategies are identified, beyond those of their profession. They join the of-the-moment platform with different purposes (to inform, entertain, or introduce themselves) and targets (new audiences, young people, fans). Journalists adapt their presence to the TikTok social media logic, seeking a space of influence on a platform that is the natural habitat of younger generations.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and the 5G Conspiracy Theory: Social Network Analysis of Twitter Data

10.2196/19458 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. e19458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wasim Ahmed ◽  
Josep Vidal-Alaball ◽  
Joseph Downing ◽  
Francesc López Seguí
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Network Analysis ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Conspiracy Theory ◽  
Fake News ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Twitter Data

Background Since the beginning of December 2019, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has spread rapidly around the world, which has led to increased discussions across online platforms. These conversations have also included various conspiracies shared by social media users. Amongst them, a popular theory has linked 5G to the spread of COVID-19, leading to misinformation and the burning of 5G towers in the United Kingdom. The understanding of the drivers of fake news and quick policies oriented to isolate and rebate misinformation are keys to combating it. Objective The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of the drivers of the 5G COVID-19 conspiracy theory and strategies to deal with such misinformation. Methods This paper performs a social network analysis and content analysis of Twitter data from a 7-day period (Friday, March 27, 2020, to Saturday, April 4, 2020) in which the #5GCoronavirus hashtag was trending on Twitter in the United Kingdom. Influential users were analyzed through social network graph clusters. The size of the nodes were ranked by their betweenness centrality score, and the graph’s vertices were grouped by cluster using the Clauset-Newman-Moore algorithm. The topics and web sources used were also examined. Results Social network analysis identified that the two largest network structures consisted of an isolates group and a broadcast group. The analysis also revealed that there was a lack of an authority figure who was actively combating such misinformation. Content analysis revealed that, of 233 sample tweets, 34.8% (n=81) contained views that 5G and COVID-19 were linked, 32.2% (n=75) denounced the conspiracy theory, and 33.0% (n=77) were general tweets not expressing any personal views or opinions. Thus, 65.2% (n=152) of tweets derived from nonconspiracy theory supporters, which suggests that, although the topic attracted high volume, only a handful of users genuinely believed the conspiracy. This paper also shows that fake news websites were the most popular web source shared by users; although, YouTube videos were also shared. The study also identified an account whose sole aim was to spread the conspiracy theory on Twitter. Conclusions The combination of quick and targeted interventions oriented to delegitimize the sources of fake information is key to reducing their impact. Those users voicing their views against the conspiracy theory, link baiting, or sharing humorous tweets inadvertently raised the profile of the topic, suggesting that policymakers should insist in the efforts of isolating opinions that are based on fake news. Many social media platforms provide users with the ability to report inappropriate content, which should be used. This study is the first to analyze the 5G conspiracy theory in the context of COVID-19 on Twitter offering practical guidance to health authorities in how, in the context of a pandemic, rumors may be combated in the future.

scholarly journals What are political parties doing on TikTok? The Spanish case

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cervi ◽  
Carles Marín-Lladó
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Young People ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Discussion ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
The World

TikTok, already widely used before the pandemic, boomed during the quarantine that locked down large parts of the world, reaching 2 billion downloads and 800 million monthly active users worldwide by the end of 2020. Of these 800 million users, 41% are aged between 16 and 24 years. This social network, widely known for its entertainment videos, is increasingly becoming a place for political discussion and therefore a unique opportunity for political actors to (re)connect with young people. Acknowledging that the political uses of TikTok are still understudied, this paper aims to explore whether and how Spanish political parties are including TikTok as part of their communication strategy. Through an affordance-centered content analysis of all the posts published by the five most important Spanish political parties (PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos, Podemos, and Vox), the current results show that, although all Spanish political parties have adopted this platform, their usage is unequal. From a quantitative perspective, PP was the first party to open a TikTok account, but its usage has been discontinuous; Podemos and Ciudadanos are the parties that publish the most and most constantly, while Vox has only published nine posts and the PSOE one. Nonetheless, from a qualitative perspective, Podemos and Vox generate more engagement and seem to understand and exploit TikTok’s specific affordances better. The findings allow it to be concluded that, although globally Spanish political parties do not fully exploit the platform’s affordances and tend to use it as a unilateral tool for promotion, the most engaging posts are those favoring interaction and geared toward politainment.

scholarly journals Analyzing Social Media to Explore the Attitudes and Behaviors Following the Announcement of Successful COVID-19 Vaccine Trials: Infodemiology Study

10.2196/28800 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. e28800
Author(s):  
Jean-Christophe Boucher ◽  
Kirsten Cornelson ◽  
Jamie L Benham ◽  
Madison M Fullerton ◽  
Theresa Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
The Government

Background The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has brought vaccine hesitancy to the forefront in managing this pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is fundamentally different from that of other vaccines due to the new technologies being used, rapid development, and widespread global distribution. Attitudes on vaccines are largely driven by online information, particularly information on social media. The first step toward influencing attitudes about immunization is understanding the current patterns of communication that characterize the immunization debate on social media platforms. Objective We aimed to evaluate societal attitudes, communication trends, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake through social media content analysis to inform communication strategies promoting vaccine acceptance. Methods Social network analysis (SNA) and unsupervised machine learning were used to characterize COVID-19 vaccine content on Twitter globally. Tweets published in English and French were collected through the Twitter application programming interface between November 19 and 26, 2020, just following the announcement of initial COVID-19 vaccine trials. SNA was used to identify social media clusters expressing mistrustful opinions on COVID-19 vaccination. Based on the SNA results, an unsupervised machine learning approach to natural language processing using a sentence-level algorithm transfer function to detect semantic textual similarity was performed in order to identify the main themes of vaccine hesitancy. Results The tweets (n=636,516) identified that the main themes driving the vaccine hesitancy conversation were concerns of safety, efficacy, and freedom, and mistrust in institutions (either the government or multinational corporations). A main theme was the safety and efficacy of mRNA technology and side effects. The conversation around efficacy was that vaccines were unlikely to completely rid the population of COVID-19, polymerase chain reaction testing is flawed, and there is no indication of long-term T-cell immunity for COVID-19. Nearly one-third (45,628/146,191, 31.2%) of the conversations on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy clusters expressed concerns for freedom or mistrust of institutions (either the government or multinational corporations) and nearly a quarter (34,756/146,191, 23.8%) expressed criticism toward the government’s handling of the pandemic. Conclusions Social media content analysis combined with social network analysis provides insights into the themes of the vaccination conversation on Twitter. The themes of safety, efficacy, and trust in institutions will need to be considered, as targeted outreach programs and intervention strategies are deployed on Twitter to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.

Read All About It: The Politicization of “Fake News” on Twitter

2018 ◽  
Vol 95 (2) ◽  
pp. 497-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Brummette ◽  
Marcia DiStaso ◽  
Michail Vafeiadis ◽  
Marcus Messner
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Word Choice ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Online Networks ◽  
Party Members ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Due to the importance of word choice in political discourse, this study explored the use of the term “fake news.” Using a social network analysis, content analysis, and cluster analysis, political characteristics of online networks that formed around discussions of “fake news” were examined. This study found that “fake news” is a politicized term where conversations overshadowed logical and important discussions of the term. Findings also revealed that social media users from opposing political parties communicate in homophilous environments and use “fake news” to disparage the opposition and condemn real information disseminated by the opposition party members.

Tweeting #Ferguson: Mediatized fields and the new activist journalist

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 2252-2271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen R Barnard
Keyword(s):  
Field Theory ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Network Analysis ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Journalistic Field

As a hybrid, journo-activist space, tweeting #Ferguson quickly emerged as a way for activists and journalists to network and spread information. Using a mixed-methods approach combining digital ethnographic content analysis with social network analysis and link analysis, this study examines journalistic and activist uses of Twitter to identify changes in field relations and practices. Employing the lenses of field theory and mediatization, this study finds parity and divergence in the themes, frames, format, and discourse of journalist and activist Twitter practices. While the traditions of objective journalism and affective activism persist, notable exceptions occurred, especially following acts of police suppression. The networked communities of professional and activist Twitter users were overlapping and interactive, suggesting hybridity at the margins of the journalistic field. Given the hybridizing of journalistic and journo-activist practices, this case study examines the role of social media in efforts to report on and bolster social change.

scholarly journals Social Networks and Young People. Comparative Study of Facebook between Colombia and Spain

Comunicar ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (40) ◽  
pp. 127-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Almansa-Martínez ◽  
Oscar Fonseca ◽  
Antonio Castillo-Esparcia
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Young People ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Redes Sociales ◽  
Private Lives ◽  
The Media ◽  
The One

Social networks have become areas of social interaction among young people where they create a profile to relate with others. The way this population uses social networks has an impact on their socialization as well as the emotional and affective aspects of their development. The purpose of this investigation was to analyze how Facebook is used by young people to communicate among themselves and the experiences they gain from it. On the one hand, while teenagers claim to know the risks, they admit to accepting strangers as friends and to sharing large amounts of true data about their private lives. For this reason, it is necessary to understand the media and digital phenomenon that the youth are living through. Although they are legally prohibited from using Facebook until they are 13, the number of underage users of this social network is growing, without any restraint from parents or schools. This investigation compares the use of Facebook by youth in Colombia and Spain by using the content analysis and interview techniques. In Colombia 100 Facebook profiles were analyzed and 20 interviews carried out with students between 12- and 15-years-old attending the Institución Educativa Distrital Técnico Internacional school in Bogotá. In Spain, 100 Facebook profiles were analyzed and 20 interviews held with students of the same age group attending various secondary schools in Andalusia. Las redes sociales se han convertido en ámbitos de interacción social entre los jóvenes, que crean un perfil para relacionarse con los demás. La exposición pública en el caso de los adolescentes puede generar problemas sobre aspectos sociales, emotivos y afectivos. Esta investigación analiza cómo se usa Facebook por parte de los jóvenes y qué experiencia obtienen de ello. Aunque dicen conocer los riesgos, admiten que aceptan a desconocidos como amigos y ofrecen datos reales sobre su vida. Ante esta situación, se hace más evidente la necesidad de la alfabetización mediática y digital de estos jóvenes que, aunque no deberían estar en Facebook hasta los 13 años, cuentan con un perfil de manera mayoritaria. Para ello se ha utilizado una metodología basada en el análisis de contenido y las entrevistas en profundidad. Se trata de un estudio comparativo entre Colombia y España. En Colombia se han realizado 100 análisis de perfiles y 20 entrevistas en profundidad. La muestra ha sido de adolescentes de 12 a 15 años, de la Institución Educativa Distrital Técnico Internacional de Bogotá. En España se han analizado 100 perfiles y se han realizado 20 entrevistas a chicos de 12 a 15 años, de Institutos (IES) de Andalucía.

scholarly journals Shaping the ‘me’ in MySpace: The framing of profiles on a social network site

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R Brake
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Young People ◽  
Digital Storytelling ◽  
Social Network Site ◽  
Network Site ◽  
The Social

This paper analyses the social and technical context in which young people create and maintain social media profiles. The analysis was based primarily on ten semi-structured hour-long interviews conducted with MySpace users—all young people between 16 and 19 years of age from two UK schools, supplemented by a questionnaire and examination of the texts they produced. An overview is given of the nature of the profiles created by the interviewees. The process of profile creation and maintenance is then placed in the wider context of the uses of MySpace as described by those interviewed, and some of the influences which appear to have shapedwhat was produced are outlined. In the conclusion, the implications of the manner in which these practices are shaped for institutions involved in digital storytelling are explored.

scholarly journals Born Digital? Presence, Privacy, and Intimate Surveillance

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tama Leaver
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Young People ◽  
Parental Monitoring ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Begging The Question ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Presence ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Online Identities

The moment of birth was once the instant where parents and others first saw their child in the world, but with the advent of various imaging technologies, most notably the ultrasound, the first photos often precede birth (Lupton, 2013). In the past several decades, the question is no longer just when the first images are produced, but who should see them, via which, if any, communication platforms? Should sonograms (the ultrasound photos) be used to announce the impending arrival of a new person in the world? Moreover, while that question is ostensibly quite benign, it does usher in an era where parents and loved ones are, for the first years of life, the ones deciding what, if any, social media presence young people have before they’re in a position to start contributing to those decisions. This chapter addresses this comparatively new online terrain, postulating the provocative term intimate surveillance, which deliberately turns surveillance on its head, begging the question whether sharing affectionately, and with the best of intentions, can or should be understood as a form of surveillance. Firstly, this chapter will examine the idea of co-creating online identities, touching on some of the standard ways of thinking about identity online, and then starting to look at how these approaches do and do not explicitly address the creation of identity for others, especially parents creating online identities for their kids. I will then review some ideas about surveillance and counter-surveillance with a view to situating these creative parental acts in terms of the kids and others being created. Finally, this chapter will explore several examples of parental monitoring, capturing and sharing of data and media about their children, using various mobile apps, contextualising these activities not with a moral finger-waving, but by surfacing specific questions and literacies which parents may need to develop in order to use these tools mindfully, and ensure decisions made about their children’s’ online presences are purposeful decisions.

scholarly journals Networked generation growing up or maturing on social media

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-187
Author(s):  
V. A. Sushko ◽  
G. B. Pronchev
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Young People ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Social Knowledge ◽  
Sociological Research ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
The Social

The article analyzes the processes taking place in the youth environment in the context of digitalization of society. The role of social networks is discussed. Since its inception, network analysis has been formed as an interdisciplinary direction in which psychologists, sociologists, communication specialists, anthropologists, mathematicians and statisticians combine their efforts. The social network as a way of organizing social knowledge requires a special methodological approach, different from the traditional methods of analyzing sociological information. “Digital habits” significantly affect the behavior of young people, change the “traditional” way of life. The article is of interest to specialists dealing with problems of sociology of youth, sociology of global processes, methodology of sociological research.

scholarly journals Analyzing Social Media to Explore the Attitudes and Behaviors Following the Announcement of Successful COVID-19 Vaccine Trials: Infodemiology Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Christophe Boucher ◽  
Kirsten Cornelson ◽  
Jamie L Benham ◽  
Madison M Fullerton ◽  
Theresa Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Multinational Corporations ◽  
Vaccine Hesitancy ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
Vaccine Trials ◽  
The Government

BACKGROUND The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines has brought vaccine hesitancy to the forefront in managing this pandemic. COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy is fundamentally different from that of other vaccines due to the new technologies being used, rapid development, and widespread global distribution. Attitudes on vaccines are largely driven by online information, particularly information on social media. The first step toward influencing attitudes about immunization is understanding the current patterns of communication that characterize the immunization debate on social media platforms. OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate societal attitudes, communication trends, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccine uptake through social media content analysis to inform communication strategies promoting vaccine acceptance. METHODS Social network analysis (SNA) and unsupervised machine learning were used to characterize COVID-19 vaccine content on Twitter globally. Tweets published in English and French were collected through the Twitter application programming interface between November 19 and 26, 2020, just following the announcement of initial COVID-19 vaccine trials. SNA was used to identify social media clusters expressing mistrustful opinions on COVID-19 vaccination. Based on the SNA results, an unsupervised machine learning approach to natural language processing using a sentence-level algorithm transfer function to detect semantic textual similarity was performed in order to identify the main themes of vaccine hesitancy. RESULTS The tweets (n=636,516) identified that the main themes driving the vaccine hesitancy conversation were concerns of safety, efficacy, and freedom, and mistrust in institutions (either the government or multinational corporations). A main theme was the safety and efficacy of mRNA technology and side effects. The conversation around efficacy was that vaccines were unlikely to completely rid the population of COVID-19, polymerase chain reaction testing is flawed, and there is no indication of long-term T-cell immunity for COVID-19. Nearly one-third (45,628/146,191, 31.2%) of the conversations on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy clusters expressed concerns for freedom or mistrust of institutions (either the government or multinational corporations) and nearly a quarter (34,756/146,191, 23.8%) expressed criticism toward the government’s handling of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Social media content analysis combined with social network analysis provides insights into the themes of the vaccination conversation on Twitter. The themes of safety, efficacy, and trust in institutions will need to be considered, as targeted outreach programs and intervention strategies are deployed on Twitter to improve the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination.

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