Participatory water conservation education on social media in Amathole District local municipalities, Eastern Cape, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charity Hove ◽  
Oluyinka Oludolapo Osunkunle
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Risk Zone ◽  
Local Municipalities ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government

Social media has been attributed as beneficial by aiding fast and reliable communication which cuts across time and geographical boundaries. In South Africa, reports indicate that most people have access to social media. Such attributes can be harnessed by municipalities to educate about water conservation, especially considering the drought and water crisis that was experienced in Eastern Cape, South Africa. This paper focused on local municipalities in Amathole District in the Eastern Cape Province, which was declared a high risk zone due to the drought that prevailed in 2016 till 2017. The Government to Citizen Model (G2C) was used as a theoretical framework which supports participation. Purposive sampling was used, with water messages being prioritised. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse content on the local municipalities’ social media platforms. The researchers found that local municipalities in Amathole District, excluding the district municipality, were not using social media platforms for participatory water conservation education.

Social Media Use for Water Conservation Education in South Africa: Perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s Residents

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 351-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charity Hove ◽  
Oluyinka O Osunkunle
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Education ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Media Usage ◽  
Persuasive Strategies ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Water scarcity is increasing in South Africa and communities need to be educated about water conservation practices. This article investigated the perceptions of Raymond Mhlaba Local Municipality’s residents concerning the use of social media for water conservation education in their community. Through a quantitative methodology, a sample of 383 respondents answered a questionnaire and the main findings were that 75 per cent of respondents did not know about the municipality’s social media platforms. This article recommends that the municipality creates awareness about its social media platforms, increases social media usage and employs persuasive strategies for participation.

scholarly journals Online social media usage of car dealerships in Gauteng Province, South Africa

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Makgopa S. Sipho
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Marketing Communication ◽  
Gauteng Province ◽  
Motor Industry ◽  
Online Social Media ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media

The concept of social media is top of the agenda for many organizations today. Decision makers, as well as marketers, try to identify ways in which organizations can make profitable use of social media platforms. The adoption of social media in marketing communication campaigns to carry the marketing communication message to the target audiences remains a challenge to organizations in the motor industry. The purpose of this paper was to establish an understanding of the online social media tools used by car dealerships in their marketing communication strategies and campaigns. In achieving the purpose of this paper, a qualitative research approach using semi-structured in-depth interviews with marketing personnel of different car dealerships in Gauteng province, South Africa was followed. In this paper, a qualitative content analysis was used to analyze primary data using Atlas ti version 10 computer software. The findings of this paper revealed that the use of social media platforms by car dealerships varied in terms of message content. Recommendations to stakeholders in the motor industry and future research directions are provided. Keywords: social media, marketing communications, communication channels, consumer-to-consumer communications, car dealerships. JEL Classification: M31, M37

scholarly journals How Popular Culture Prompts Youth Collective Political Expression and Cross-Cutting Political Talk on Social Media: A Cross-Platform Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110088
Author(s):  
Ioana Literat ◽  
Neta Kligler-Vilenchik
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Popular Culture ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Political Expression ◽  
Political Views ◽  
Political Talk ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Cross Platform ◽  
Symbolic Resource ◽  
Political Differences

Adopting a comparative cross-platform approach, we examine youth political expression and conversation on social media, as prompted by popular culture. Tracking a common case study—the practice of building Donald Trump’s border wall within the videogame Fortnite—across three social media platforms popular with youth (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram), we ask: How do popular culture artifacts prompt youth political expression, as well as cross-cutting political talk with those holding different political views, across social media platforms? A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative and qualitative content analysis of around 6,400 comments posted on relevant artifacts, illuminates youth popular culture as a shared symbolic resource that stimulates communication within and across political differences—although, as our findings show, it is often deployed in a disparaging manner. This cross-platform analysis, grounded in contemporary youth culture and sociopolitical dynamics, enables a deeper understanding of the interplay between popular culture, cross-cutting political talk, and the role that different social media platforms play in shaping these expressive practices.

scholarly journals Perceptions of nursing students regarding responsible use of social media in the Eastern Cape

Curationis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thando Nyangeni ◽  
Suzette Du Rand ◽  
Dalena Van Rooyen
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Nursing Students ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Clinical Environment ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Background: Social media have become a popular communication system that has transformed communication from the traditional to the Web-based model. Because social media use has no limitations to place and time, it is now used extensively at clinical facilities. Social media useis becoming a popular activity amongst students at Nursing Education Institutions (NEI) in South Africa. However, lack of accountability and unethical use of social media by nursing students in South Africa has been reported.Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of nursing students regarding responsible use of social media.Methods: A qualitative, descriptive, explorative and contextual research design was used to explore and describe the perceptions of nursing students regarding the responsible use of social media. Twelve nursing students registered for the undergraduate nursing degree were purposely selected and interviewed individually using a semi-structured interview method.Results: The results of this research study demonstrate that nursing students use socialmedia irresponsibly. Nursing students experience blurred boundaries between personal and professional lines and lack accountability when using social media.Conclusion: The extensive use of social media in the clinical environment, by healthcare students, requires a joint effort by Nursing Education Institutions and healthcare facilities to ensure that social media are used in an ethically acceptable manner. The implementation of the recommendations of this research study could positively influence legally and ethically acceptable use of social media at healthcare facilities.

scholarly journals Social Media in an Emergency: Use of Social Media in Rescuing Abducted School Girls in Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 67-75
Author(s):  
Muhammad Abdullahi Maigari ◽  
Uthman Abdullahi Abdul-Qadir
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
The Social ◽  
Security Challenges ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
School Girls ◽  
The Government ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Domestic Assistance

This paper examines the abduction of the schoolgirls in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria in 2014. The paper examined how the abduction of the schoolgirls generated responses and support for the rescue of the abducted girls from people and organization from different parts of the globe. The Islamists terrorist organization operating in Borno State has attracted the attention of the world since 2009 when they started attacking government establishments and security installations northeast which later escalated to major cities in Northern Nigeria. Methodologically, the paper utilized secondary sources of data to analyze the phenomenon studied. The paper revealed that the development and innovations in information and communication technology which dismantled traditional and colonial boundaries enabled people to express support, solidarity and assist victims of conflict who resides millions of Kilometers away. This shows that Internet-based communications technology has reduced the distance of time and space that characterised traditional mass media. The campaign for the release of the schoolgirls on the social media platforms particularly Twitter and Facebook has tremendously contributed to the release of some of them. Furthermore, the girls freed from abduction have received proper attention: education and reintegration programmes which enable them to start post-abduction life. In this regard, social media has become a tool for supporting the government in moments of security challenges which the Bring Back Our Girls campaign attracted foreign and domestic assistance to Nigeria in the search of the abducted girls and the fight against the Islamist insurgents.

scholarly journals The Use of Social Media in Public Relations at Non-Governmental Organisations in South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (6(J)) ◽  
pp. 150-161
Author(s):  
G. Nchabeleng ◽  
CJ. Botha ◽  
CA Bisschoff
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Public Relations Practitioners ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Way

Social media can be a useful tool in public relations in non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but do NGOs make use of social media in their quest for service delivery in South Africa? Social networking sites, blogging, email, instant messaging, and online journals are some of the technological changes that changed the way interaction between people and how they gather information. Although social media is mainly used for interactive dialogue and social interaction, the private sector soon realised that the web-based technologies (especially Facebook and Twitter) could also be a competitive business tool. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) soon followed suit however at a slower pace than the general communication growth rate of social media in South Africa. This article examines if social networking sites have any impact on public relations practices of NGOs in South Africa – an environment where both customers and employees still struggle to take full advantage of social media. The critical literature findings increase the understanding of the current and future challenges of social media use in public relations at NGOs in South Africa. The study explores the main differences between traditional and social media, how social media is redefining public relations role, and shed some light on defining public relations practices, identify the uses, limitations and benefits of social media by public relations practitioners in NGOs. Recommendations for future communication research are given. Based on the literature, a qualitative research design collected data using semi-structured, individual interviews. The results revealed that social media platforms such as Facebook do have an effect, and even changed the way in which NGOs communicate. The study also revealed that social media certainly has an impact on public relations relationships. This means that it has become crucial that public relations practitioners at NOGs embrace and take advantage of social media, and that they should also invest in proper electronic platforms to reap the benefits of improved communication internally and externally.

scholarly journals The Food and Nutrition Environment at Secondary Schools in the Eastern Cape, South Africa as Reported by Learners

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (11) ◽  
pp. 4038
Author(s):  
Alice P. Okeyo ◽  
Eunice Seekoe ◽  
Anniza de Villiers ◽  
Mieke Faber ◽  
Johanna H. Nel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Secondary Schools ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Nutrition Knowledge ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
Dietary Guidelines ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Nutrition Environment ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
The Government

Overweight and obesity are growing concerns in adolescents, particularly in females in South Africa. The aim of this study was to evaluate the food and nutrition environment in terms of government policy programs, nutrition education provided, and foods sold at secondary schools in the Eastern Cape province. Sixteen schools and grade 8–12 learners (N = 1360) were randomly selected from three health districts comprising poor disadvantaged communities. Based on age and sex specific body mass index (BMI) cut-off values, 13.3% of males and 5.5% of females were underweight, while 9.9% of males and 36.1% of females were overweight or obese. The main food items purchased at school were unhealthy energy-dense items such as fried flour dough balls, chocolates, candies, and crisps/chips. Nutrition knowledge scores based on the South African food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) were poor for 52% to 23.4% learners in Grades 8 to 12, respectively. Female learners generally had significantly higher nutrition knowledge scores compared to their male counterparts (p = 0.016). Questions poorly answered by more than 60% of learners, included the number of fruit and vegetable portions required daily, food to eat when overweight, foods containing fiber, and importance of legumes. It was noted that the majority of teachers who taught nutrition had no formal nutrition training and their responses to knowledge questions were poor indicating that they were not familiar with the FBDGs, which are part of the curriculum. Nutrition assessment as part of the Integrated School Health Program was done on few learners. Overall however, despite some challenges the government national school meal program provided meals daily to 96% of learners. In general, the school food and nutrition environment was not conducive for promoting healthy eating.

scholarly journals Degrees of Freedom: Exploring Agency, Narratives, and Technological Affordances in the #TakeAKnee Controversy

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630511982612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith E. Rosenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Degrees Of Freedom ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Structuration Theory ◽  
The Social ◽  
American National Identity ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Narratives ◽  
Technological Affordances

This study extends current research into social media platforms as counterpublic spaces by examining how the social media narratives produced by the #TakeAKnee controversy negotiate technological affordances and existing discourses surrounding American national identity. Giddens’ Structuration Theory is used to explore the nature of user agency on social media platforms and the extent to which this agency is constrained or enabled by the interplay between the systems and structures that guide social media use. Exploratory qualitative content analysis was used to analyze and compare tweets and Instagram posts using the #TakeAKnee hashtag shared in September 2017. Results showed that narratives are dominated by four themes, freedom, unity, equality and justice, and respect and honor. Users actively employ technological affordances to create highly personalized meanings, affirming that agency operates at the intersection of reflexivity and self-efficacy.

scholarly journals The battle to end fake news: A qualitative content analysis of Facebook announcements on how it combats disinformation

2019 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Iosifidis ◽  
Nicholas Nicoli
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Culture Media ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Digital Democracy ◽  
Descriptive Account ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms

The recent spread of online disinformation has been profound and has played a central role in the growth of populist sentiments around the world. Facilitating its progression has been politically and economically motivated culprits who have ostensibly taken advantage of the digital freedoms available to them. At the heart of these freedoms lie social media organisations that only a few years earlier techno-optimists were identifying as catalysts of an enhanced digital democracy. In order to curtail the erosion of information, policy reform will no doubt be essential. The UK's Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Disinformation and ‘fake news’ Report and Cairncross Review, and the European Commission's Report on Disinformation are three recent examples seeking to investigate how precisely such reform policy might be implemented. Just as important is how social media organisations take on more responsibility and apply self-regulating mechanisms that stifle disinformation across their platforms (something the aforementioned reports identify). Doing so will go a long way in restoring legitimacy in these significant institutions. Facebook (which includes Instagram and Whatsapp), is the largest social media organisation in the world and must primarily bear the burden of this responsibility. The purpose of this article is to offer a descriptive account of Facebook's public announcements regarding how it tackles disinformation and fake news. Based on a qualitative content analysis covering the period November 16th 2016–March 4th 2019, this article will set out some groundwork on how to hold social media platforms more accountable for how they handle disinformation.

The United Arab Emirates will monitor internet closely

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Brands ◽  
Low Profile ◽  
The Status ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
The Government ◽  
In Transit

Subject Importance of social media in the United Arab Emirates. Significance The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is among the most connected countries in the Middle East, with one of the highest rates of social media penetration. Compared with Western countries, UAE consumers are more likely to engage with brands and to be less worried about issues of privacy and tracking. The government engages in extensive monitoring, surveillance and censorship of social media and apps. Impacts Both global brands and local businesses have additional scope to develop social media strategies to capitalise on rising usage. Content with the status quo and tight monitoring will prevent activists from leveraging social media platforms to bring about change. Extraterritorial aspects of the cybercrime law could be applied to non-residents and travellers in transit. Non-renewal of visas could become a more common, low-profile way to exclude expatriates who transgress on social media.

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