scholarly journals New Gatekeepers in Town: How Groups in Social Networking Sites Influence Information Flows in Russia’s Provinces

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 205630512110132
Author(s):  
Olga Dovbysh
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Digital Space ◽  
Professional Norms ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Local Media ◽  
Mediated Discourse ◽  
Media Space ◽  
Grassroots Initiatives ◽  
Depth Interviews

The study focuses upon “city public groups” (“gorodskie pabliki,” local newsgroups on social networking sites)—the new entrants in the local media space of the Russian province that have recently become important actors of regional public communication. Such groups combine news posting and citizen discussions, report on local affairs and gossip, and entertain. Some groups are based on user-generated content; others create their own content or act as aggregators. Being non-registered and grassroots initiatives, these media enjoy higher freedom in comparison to official local newsrooms. Given the popularity of city public groups among local citizens and local authorities’ interest toward them, owners and moderators of these media are playing an influential role for local mediated discourse. Based on the gatekeeping theory and its extensions for digital space, this article explores the emerging roles of these new gatekeepers in the local communities. Based upon 28 in-depth interviews collected by the author in Russian towns in 2017–2018, the article also analyses the professional norms and values of the owners and moderators of local city groups that they employ to perform their gatekeeping function.

scholarly journals Writing Identity: Gendered Values and User Content Creation in SNS Interaction among Estonian and Swedish Tweens

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 365-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Hernwall ◽  
Andra Siibak
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Gender Construction ◽  
Peer Culture ◽  
Content Creation ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Writing Identity ◽  
User Content

Tweens (10–14-year-olds) in Estonia and Sweden were interviewed about their experience and understanding of gender construction on social networking sites (SNS). The interviews indicate that peer culture is the most important dimension and a source of inspiration for the young when writing their identity online. Gendered norms and values are prominent in these activities, especially in the manipulated images being produced by the tweens. The latter practice is most explicit among the girls, especially when it comes to Photoshopping. The findings suggest that both girls and boys are well aware of what images are acceptable to publish as well as how to act and pose in front of the camera.

‘Do digital technologies matter? How hyperlocal media is re-configuring the media landscape of a Russian province’

Journalism ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 146488492094196
Author(s):  
Olga Dovbysh
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Social Networking Site ◽  
Local Media ◽  
European Part Of Russia ◽  
Competitive Relations ◽  
Russian Media ◽  
The Media ◽  
Use Of The Internet

The increase of internet penetration across Russia has reduced entry barriers for individuals and companies who want to report locally. New digital technologies have given rise to many semi-professional local media projects, so-called ‘hyperlocal media’ (Metzgar et al., 2011; Tenor, 2018), created on various online platforms and social networking sites. Websites, blogs, and social media groups (the so-called ‘pabliki’ in Russian) on the popular social networking site VKontakte have opened up new access routes to local news, both for ordinary citizens and the authorities, but have also become a challenge for traditional local media. This article investigates how the media landscape changes in response to digital technologies in a provincial town of nearly 40,000 in the European part of Russia. More specifically, the article investigates how professional journalists from traditional media and practitioners from hyperlocal media sites understand the influence of digital technologies on the aims and work practices of media in a Russian province. The study is based on in-depth interviews with the editors of traditional local media (e.g. print newspapers) and owners of new hyperlocal media initiatives. The research explores different approaches to the ways in which two groups of media actors understand and make use of the internet and digital technologies. However, within peculiar Russian media model, these differences have led to collaborative rather than competitive relations between the two groups.

scholarly journals Spanish academics and social networking sites: Use, non-use, and the perceived advantages and drawbacks of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu

First Monday ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Segado-Boj ◽  
Jesús Díaz-Campo ◽  
Erika Fernández-Gómez ◽  
María-Ángeles Chaparro-Domínguez
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Uses And Gratifications ◽  
Uses And Gratifications Theory ◽  
University Professors ◽  
Level Of Use ◽  
Depth Interviews

This study examines Spanish academics’ motives for using social networking sites (SNS) and their perceptions regarding the limitations of and drawbacks to social media. We analyse 18 in-depth interviews conducted with Spanish university professors chosen according to their disciplines, academic ranks and level of use. Our findings confirm prior research based on the uses and gratifications theory. Thus, we conclude that SNS are used for managing content, identifying experts in a researcher’s field of knowledge. In addition, academics need to manage different personal identities in each SNS they use.

Media representation of China in the time of pandemic: A comparative study of Kenyan and Ethiopian media

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 417-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hangwei Li
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Media Representation ◽  
African Countries ◽  
News Production ◽  
Media Environment ◽  
Professional Norms ◽  
Local Media ◽  
The Media ◽  
Crisis Responses ◽  
Depth Interviews

China has been a pivotal player throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there is very little research on how China’s role and effort have been interpreted among African countries that are diverged in their crisis responses. Through content and discourse analysis of the local media and more than 50 in-depth interviews, this study investigates media representation of China during the coronavirus pandemic in the Kenyan and Ethiopian newspapers, specifically Kenyan’s Daily Nation and The Standard, and the Ethiopian Herald and The Reporter. This study finds that Kenyan newspapers adopted a more critical and problem-centred narrative, as many of its news articles are organized around problems such as the ‘debt-trap diplomacy’, and the mistreatment of Africans in Guangzhou during the pandemic. Unlike Kenyan newspapers, Ethiopian newspapers adopted a more positive and favourable tone towards China. This article also captures the dynamics behind the production of China-related news during the pandemic, and discusses how the media environment, professional norms, journalistic habitus, the ‘rules of games’ (i.e. who counts as an important source) have fundamentally shaped the news production.

scholarly journals “I Want to See People’s Reactions to the Selfies”: A Lefebvrian Analysis of the Impact of Social Networking Sites on Physical, Mental, and Emotional Functioning

2021 ◽  
pp. 089443932199422
Author(s):  
Ben Harkin ◽  
Alan Yates ◽  
Martin Riach ◽  
Alice Clowes ◽  
Sophie Cole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Complicated Nature

Since the conception and exponential growth of social networking sites (SNSs), technology has advanced sufficiently to allow access to them at any moment for any reason. This has given users a “virtual space” (VS) in which to communicate and “live” within (e.g., Facebook), a space which disparate research has shown to have an impact on users’ behaviors, thoughts, and emotions. The present study aimed to examine the potential for SNSs to influence the physical, mental, and social well-being of undergraduate students. To explore this in a unified fashion, we conducted in-depth interviews with 25 participants across three qualitative studies. All interview transcripts were analyzed using a recursive deductive thematic analysis. Lefebvre’s trialectic of space was examined for its applicability to students’ experiences of VS vis-à-vis SNSs. Lefebvre’s spatial triad provides a novel and coherent framework to untangle and explain the multifaceted and often complicated nature of SNS use. Analysis found correspondence between Lefebvrian triadic space and SNSs to explain the pervasive, dominant, and sometimes pathological role that SNSs can have upon everyday functioning. Implications are that a Lefebvrian approach can inform future research as a means to untangle and explain the multifaceted and often complicated nature of SNS use.

scholarly journals Narratives of Students about the Role of Social Networking Sites in Higher Education Institutes

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 84-100
Author(s):  
Sidra Saeed ◽  
Iqra Saeed ◽  
Dr. Warda Gul
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Online Lectures ◽  
E Learning ◽  
Depth Interviews

Social Networking Sites (SNS) such as Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, blogs, Twitter and other educational sites have become an essential part of daily routine at the tertiary level of education. The purpose of this study is to investigate how SNS enable social interaction as well as sharing of knowledge among students. Hence, this study explored students’ perception of educational activities conducted via SNS and their experience of using SNS in higher institutes. The study adopted a qualitative approach and focused on interpreting students’ narratives regarding the use of SNS in higher education. For this purpose, in depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted from university students. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data generated from the narratives of the participants. The findings showed that SNS plays an important role in distance education as they help students to attend online lectures delivered from the online forums of various universities. Students use SNS for various learning purposes, such as to access online libraries, e-learning, to download e-books and to find research articles from various authentic sites.

scholarly journals Social media used by local governments of the Lodz Voivodeship

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (146) ◽  
pp. 533-542
Author(s):  
Mariusz WOŹNIAKOWSKI ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Communication Activity ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to present the assumptions of social media and their values in the communication of local government units on the example of cities in the Lodz region. Design/methodology/approach: The conducted study consisted in analyzing the content of official websites belonging to local governments of individual cities of the Lodz voivodship to see how information about social networking sites used (plug-in location) and the profiles themselves in these media are communicated in order to check what and how is published. The survey was carried out in October 2019. Findings: The study showed that out of the 44 cities analyzed in the Łódź Voivodeship 37 use at least one of the social networking sites. Most often it is Facebook - 36 cities have their profile, then YouTube – 19, Instagram – 7 and Twitter – 6. 9 cities have 3 official profiles on different websites at the same time, and another 13 cities – 2 each. For 7 cities, no profiles were found on social networking sites. Research limitations/implications: The study did not include less popular social networking sites (e.g. TikTok, GoldenLine, Pinterest). The goals of communication activities by the promotion offices of individual cities are unknown. This can be part of further research through in-depth interviews with people responsible for promoting cities. Possible extension of research to cities of other provinces. Practical implications: Based on the author's audit of the communication activity of the cities of the region on social networking sites, this article suggests that the use of social media is an appropriate tactic in promoting cities due to the participative, interactive, open and transparent nature of social media. Originality/value: The publication presents the results of research carried out on the basis of the author's audit of the activity of the cities of the Lodz voivodship in the social media

scholarly journals Constructing the Platform-Specific Self-Brand: The Labor of Social Media Promotion

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630511878476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Scolere ◽  
Urszula Pruchniewska ◽  
Brooke Erin Duffy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Economic Life ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Self Presentation ◽  
Cultural Workers ◽  
Cross Platform ◽  
Media Discourses ◽  
Depth Interviews

With the widespread uptake of social media, discourses and practices of self-branding have become a pervasive feature of social and economic life. However, the way in which the digital self-brand gets reproduced across a sprawling social media landscape remains comparatively under-theorized. Our paper therefore draws upon in-depth interviews with 52 online content creators—including designers, artists, writers, and marketing consultants—to examine how cultural workers present themselves across the panoply of social networking sites. As we show, workers’ self-presentation activities were structured through the production of a platform-specific self-brand, which was based upon the imaginations of (1) platform affordances, (2) audiences, and (3) the producer’s own self-concept. Our findings highlight producers’ compulsion to engage in continuous, cross-platform labor—despite widespread uncertainty about its economic outcomes. We conclude by addressing the stakes of a social media moment when workers of all stripes are prodded to incessantly curate, monitor, and ultimately invest in their online personae.

scholarly journals Cultural differences in motivation for consumers’ online brand-related activities on Facebook

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gauze Pitipon Kitirattarkarn ◽  
Theo Araujo ◽  
Peter Neijens
Keyword(s):  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Intention To Purchase ◽  
Cultural Research ◽  
The Social ◽  
Cross Cultural Research ◽  
Depth Interviews

AbstractGiven the increased relevance of social networking sites (SNSs) for consumers around the globe, companies face the challenge of understanding motivations underlying consumers’ interactions with online brand-related content. Cross-cultural research on consumer motivations for online brand-related activities on SNSs, however, is limited. The present study explored, via in-depth interviews, reasons why Facebook users from individualistic (the Netherlands, the United States) and collectivistic (South Korea, Thailand) cultures engage with brand-related content. The findings provide in-depth insights, in particular, with regards to collectivistic consumers, to the varied interpretations of the motivations for COBRAs identified in previous literature. We also identified a new motivation specifically for collectivistic cultures: the desire to share an intention to purchase or try a product. Moreover, while collectivistic motivations were driven by the wish to express a sense of belonging to the social group, individualistic cultures appear to engage with brands mainly for obtaining advantages for themselves.

Social Media Mourning

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jensen Moore ◽  
Sara Magee ◽  
Ellada Gamreklidze ◽  
Jennifer Kowalewski
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Grounded Theory Methodology ◽  
The Social ◽  
Depth Interviews

This article uses grounded theory methodology to analyze in-depth interviews conducted with mourners who used social networking sites during bereavement. The social media mourning (SMM) model outlines how social networking sites are used to grieve using one or more of the following: (a) one-way communication, (b) two-way communication, and (c) immortality communication. The model indicates causal conditions of SMM: (a) sharing information with family or friends and (sometimes) beginning a dialog, (b) discussing death with others mourning, (c) discussing death with a broader mourning community, and (d) commemorating and continuing connection to the deceased. The article includes actions and consequences associated with SMM and suggests several ways in which SMM changes or influences the bereavement process.

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