scholarly journals ‘Without white people, the animals will go!’: COVID-19 and the struggle for the future of South African conservation

2022 ◽  
pp. 251484862110698
Author(s):  
Scott Burnett
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
South African ◽  
Online News ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Online Activism ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Social Orders ◽  
Racial Hierarchies

This article examines the potential for online activism to contest hegemonic neoliberal conservation models in South Africa, using the Covid-19 crisis as a window onto discursive struggle. National lockdown measures during the pandemic sent the vital tourism sector of an already fragile economy into deep crisis. Neoliberal and militarized conservation models, with their reliance on international travel, are examined as affected by a conjunctural crisis, the meaning of which was contested by a broad range of social actors in traditional and on social media. In 30 online news videos, racial hierarchies of land ownership and conservation labour geographies are reproduced and legitimated, as is a visual vocabulary of conservation as equivalent with guns, boots, and anti-poaching patrols. Here, hope is represented as residing in the increased privatization of public goods, and the extraction of value from these goods in the form of elite, luxury consumption. In a corpus of posts on Twitter corpus, on the other hand, significant counter-hegemonic resistance to established neoliberal conservation models is in evidence. In their replies to white celebrity conservationist Kevin Pietersen, critical South African Twitter users offer a contrasting vision of hope grounded in anti-racist equality, a rejection of any special human-animal relations enjoyed by Europeans, and an articulation of a future with land justice at its centre. The analysis supports the idea that in the “interregnum” between hegemonic social orders, pathways towards transformed futures may be glimpsed as “kernels of truth” in discursive struggles on social media.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Hospitality Operations: What happened and what’s next?

2021 ◽  
Vol 10(1) (10(1)) ◽  
pp. 318-332
Author(s):  
Erica Ann Sao Joao
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Economic Effects ◽  
The Past ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Near Future ◽  
Catastrophic Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Unlike other global natural-, industrial- and intentional disasters of the past, if any impact was felt in South Africa, it was due to uncertainty within the tourism sector and guests being hesitant to travel. COVID-19 has had an economic and catastrophic impact on hospitality businesses, and particularly in the South African hospitality industry, resulting in changes in how the industry operates. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate whether reactions to lockdown and the subsequent collapse of domestic and international travel should have been approached differently, and what hospitality leaders anticipate for the near future of the industry. The significance of the study is to highlight that better planning should have occurred to have reduced the negative impact of the disaster. Returned emailed qualitative questionnaires from hospitality industry partners provided insight into the weeks before lockdown. The results indicate that there was a contingency plan in place within the larger hospitality operations but the timing was too short to allow adequate implementation. Smaller operations have been the most affected, with losses of contracts, employee incomes, and positions. The economic effects on the operations will require months to resolve, with many smaller operators not being able to survive.

scholarly journals Identifying Twitter users who repost unreliable news sources with linguistic information

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e325
Author(s):  
Yida Mu ◽  
Nikolaos Aletras
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online News ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Societal Implications ◽  
Neural Models ◽  
Linguistic Information ◽  
Linguistic Feature ◽  
News Sources ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
Early Detection And Prevention

Social media has become a popular source for online news consumption with millions of users worldwide. However, it has become a primary platform for spreading disinformation with severe societal implications. Automatically identifying social media users that are likely to propagate posts from handles of unreliable news sources sometime in the future is of utmost importance for early detection and prevention of disinformation diffusion in a network, and has yet to be explored. To that end, we present a novel task for predicting whether a user will repost content from Twitter handles of unreliable news sources by leveraging linguistic information from the user’s own posts. We develop a new dataset of approximately 6.2K Twitter users mapped into two categories: (1) those that have reposted content from unreliable news sources; and (2) those that repost content only from reliable sources. For our task, we evaluate a battery of supervised machine learning models as well as state-of-the-art neural models, achieving up to 79.7 macro F1. In addition, our linguistic feature analysis uncovers differences in language use and style between the two user categories.

Opportunities for Qualitative Analysis of Social Media Platforms in Dietetic Research and Practice

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Meghan Lynch ◽  
Irena Knezevic ◽  
Kennedy Laborde Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Online News ◽  
News Article ◽  
Discussion Forums ◽  
Research And Practice ◽  
The Public ◽  
Related Data ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Article Comment

To date, most qualitative knowledge about individual eating patterns and the food environment has been derived from traditional data collection methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and observations. However, there currently exists a large source of nutrition-related data in social media discussions that have the potential to provide opportunities to improve dietetic research and practice. Qualitative social media discussion analysis offers a new tool for dietetic researchers and practitioners to gather insights into how the public discusses various nutrition-related topics. We first consider how social media discussion data come with significant advantages including low-cost access to timely ways to gather insights from the public, while also cautioning that social media data have limitations (e.g., difficulty verifying demographic information). We then outline 3 types of social media discussion platforms in particular: (i) online news article comment sections, (ii) food and nutrition blogs, and (iii) discussion forums. We discuss how each different type of social media offers unique insights and provide a specific example from our own research using each platform. We contend that social media discussions can contribute positively to dietetic research and practice.

New Democracy in Digital Era through Social Media and News Online

Humaniora ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Abitassha Az Zahra ◽  
Eko Priyo Purnomo ◽  
Aulia Nur Kasiwi
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Development Policy ◽  
Online News ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Democracy

The research aimed to explain the pattern of social communication on the issue of rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy. It used data on Twitter accounts involved in the rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy. In analyzing existing data, qualitative methods and social analysis networks were used. To see social networks in the rejection of the PLTU Batang development policy, the research used the NodeXL application to find out the patterns of social communication networks in #TolakPLTUBatang. From the results, it can be seen that in the dissemination of social networking information, the @praditya_wibby account is the most central account in the social network and has a strong influence on the social network. The @praditya_wibby account has a role in moving the community through Twitter to make a critical social movement. This means that in the current digital era, democracy enters a new form through the movement of public opinion delivery through social media. Besides, by encouraging the role of online news, the distribution of information becomes faster to form new perceptions of an issue. This is evident from the correlation network where the @praditya_wibby account has correlations with several compass online media accounts, tirto.id, okezonenews, vice, antaranews, BBCIndonesia, and CNN Indonesia.

COVID-19 and the politicisation of medical preprints on Twitter: Quantitative Analysis of Social Media Data (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Urman ◽  
Stefania Ionescu ◽  
David Garcia ◽  
Anikó Hannák
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Companies ◽  
Preventative Measures ◽  
Twitter Users ◽  
New Research ◽  
Sharing Patterns ◽  
Political Divide

BACKGROUND Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists have been willing to share their results quickly to speed up the development of potential treatments and/or a vaccine. At the same time, traditional peer-review-based publication systems are not always able to process new research promptly. This has contributed to a surge in the number of medical preprints published since January 2020. In the absence of a vaccine, preventative measures such as social distancing are most helpful in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Their effectiveness can be undermined if the public does not comply with them. Hence, public discourse can have a direct effect on the progression of the pandemic. Research shows that social media discussions on COVID-19 are driven mainly by the findings from preprints, not peer-reviewed papers, highlighting the need to examine the ways medical preprints are shared and discussed online. OBJECTIVE We examine the patterns of medRxiv preprint sharing on Twitter to establish (1) whether the number of tweets linking to medRxiv increased with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) which medical preprints were mentioned on Twitter most often; (3) whether medRxiv sharing patterns on Twitter exhibit political partisanship; (4) whether the discourse surrounding medical preprints among Twitter users has changed throughout the pandemic. METHODS The analysis is based on tweets (n=557,405) containing links to medRxriv preprint repository that were posted between the creation of the repository in June 2019 and June 2020. The study relies on a combination of statistical techniques and text analysis methods. RESULTS Since January 2020, the number of tweets linking to medRxiv has increased drastically, peaking in April 2020 with a subsequent cool-down. Before the pandemic, preprints were shared predominantly by users we identify as medical professionals and scientists. After January 2020, other users, including politically-engaged ones, have started increasingly tweeting about medRxiv. Our findings indicate a political divide in sharing patterns of the top-10 most-tweeted preprints. All of them were shared more frequently by users who describe themselves as Republicans than by users who describe themselves as Democrats. Finally, we observe a change in the discourse around medRxiv preprints. Pre-pandemic tweets linking to them were predominantly using the word “preprint”. In February 2020 “preprint” was taken over by the word “study”. Our analysis suggests this change is at least partially driven by politically-engaged users. Widely shared medical preprints can have a direct effect on the public discourse around COVID-19, which in turn can affect the societies’ willingness to comply with preventative measures. This calls for an increased responsibility when dealing with medical preprints from all parties involved: scientists, preprint repositories, media, politicians, and social media companies. CONCLUSIONS Widely shared medical preprints can have a direct effect on the public discourse around COVID-19, which in turn can affect the societies’ willingness to comply with preventative measures. This calls for an increased responsibility when dealing with medical preprints from all parties involved: scientists, preprint repositories, media, politicians, and social media companies.

Comparing Representation of Depression on Reddit and Twitter Social Media Platforms (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ethan Kaji ◽  
Maggie Bushman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Relative Frequency ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Dsm Iv ◽  
Twitter Users

BACKGROUND Adolescents with depression often turn to social media to express their feelings, for support, and for educational purposes. Little is known about how Reddit, a forum-based platform, compares to Twitter, a newsfeed platform, when it comes to content surrounding depression. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to identify differences between Reddit and Twitter concerning how depression is discussed and represented online. METHODS A content analysis of Reddit posts and Twitter posts, using r/depression and #depression, identified signs of depression using the DSM-IV criteria. Other youth-related topics, including School, Family, and Social Activity, and the presence of medical or promotional content were also coded for. Relative frequency of each code was then compared between platforms as well as the average DSM-IV score for each platform. RESULTS A total of 102 posts were included in this study, with 53 Reddit posts and 49 Twitter posts. Findings suggest that Reddit has more content with signs of depression with 92% than Twitter with 24%. 28.3% of Reddit posts included medical content compared to Twitter with 18.4%. 53.1% of Twitter posts had promotional content while Reddit posts didn’t contain promotional content. CONCLUSIONS Users with depression seem more willing to discuss their mental health on the subreddit r/depression than on Twitter. Twitter users also use #depression with a wider variety of topics, not all of which actually involve a case of depression.

scholarly journals Percepciones de los residentes sobre el turismo deportivo: impactos, calidad de vida y apoyo al sector

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 174-188
Author(s):  
Rómulo Jacobo González-garcía ◽  
Paloma Escamilla-Fajardo ◽  
Samuel López-Carril ◽  
Juan Nuñez-Pomar
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Gran Canaria ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Calidad De Vida ◽  
Tourism Sector ◽  
Sports Tourism ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact

El sector del turismo deportivo recibe cada vez una mayor atención por parte de los distintos agentes sociales, teniendo un alto impacto en distintas esferas de la sociedad. El turismo no sólo afecta a las actitudes de los residentes hacia su desarrollo, sino también a su calidad de vida en general. Una vez que una comunidad o población se convierte en un destino turístico, la calidad de vida de los residentes locales se ve afectada por el desarrollo del mismo. Por consiguiente, es relevante conocer cuáles son las percepciones de los residentes respecto al impacto que causa el turismo deportivo. Por ello, el objetivo del presente estudio es analizar las percepciones de los residentes de Gran Canaria hacia los efectos del turismo deportivo, en ámbitos como su impacto, la calidad de vida y el apoyo al sector. Los resultados del estudio indican que, a mayores niveles de percepción positivos de los residentes sobre los impactos sociales, culturales, ambientales y económicos, hay un mayor apoyo hacia el desarrollo del turismo. Por otra parte, también se produce un efecto mediador significativo de la variable calidad de vida de los residentes, entre la relación de impactos percibidos y el apoyo al desarrollo del turismo activo y deportivo en Gran Canaria. Estos resultados posibilitan un mejor entendimiento de la perspectiva que los residentes tienen hacía el sector turístico deportivo, algo que puede ayudar a orientar futuras decisiones sobre la práctica, desarrollo y planificación del turismo deportivo. The sports tourism sector is receiving increasing attention from different social actors, having a high impact on different spheres of society. Tourism not only affects residents' attitudes towards their development, but also their quality of life in general. Once a community or population becomes a tourist destination, the quality of life of local residents is affected by its development. It is therefore important to know what residents' perceptions are of the impact of sports tourism. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the perceptions of the residents of Gran Canaria towards the effects of sports tourism, in areas such as its impact, quality of life and support for the sector. The results of the study indicate that, at higher levels of positive perception by residents of the social, cultural, environmental and economic impacts, there is greater support for the development of tourism. On the other hand, there is also a significant mediating effect of the variable quality of life of the residents, between the relationship of perceived impacts and the support for the development of active and sports tourism in Gran Canaria. These results make it possible to better understand the perspective that residents have towards the sports tourism sector, something that can help guide future decisions on the practice, development and planning of sports tourism. O sector do turismo desportivo está a receber cada vez mais atenção por parte de diferentes actores sociais, tendo um elevado impacto em diferentes esferas da sociedade. O turismo não afecta apenas as atitudes dos residentes em relação ao seu desenvolvimento, mas também a sua qualidade de vida em geral. Uma vez que uma comunidade ou população se torna um destino turístico, a qualidade de vida dos residentes locais é afectada pelo seu desenvolvimento. Por conseguinte, é importante conhecer a percepção que os residentes têm do impacto do turismo desportivo. Portanto, o objectivo deste estudo é analisar as percepções dos residentes da Gran Canária sobre os efeitos do turismo desportivo, em áreas como o seu impacto, qualidade de vida e apoio ao sector. Os resultados do estudo indicam que, em níveis mais elevados de percepção positiva dos residentes sobre os impactos sociais, culturais, ambientais e econômicos, há maior apoio para o desenvolvimento do turismo. Por outro lado, existe também um efeito mediador significativo da variável qualidade de vida dos residentes, entre a relação de impactos percebidos e o apoio ao desenvolvimento do turismo ativo e desportivo na Gran Canária. Estes resultados permitem compreender melhor a perspectiva que os residentes têm em relação ao sector do turismo desportivo, algo que pode ajudar a orientar futuras decisões sobre a prática, desenvolvimento e planeamento do turismo desportivo. Il settore del turismo sportivo sta ricevendo un'attenzione crescente da parte di diversi attori sociali, con un forte impatto sulle diverse sfere della società. Il turismo influenza non solo l'atteggiamento dei residenti nei confronti del loro sviluppo, ma anche la loro qualità di vita in generale. Una volta che una comunità o una popolazione diventa una destinazione turistica, la qualità della vita dei residenti locali è influenzata dal suo sviluppo. È quindi importante sapere quali sono le percezioni dei residenti sull'impatto del turismo sportivo. Pertanto, l'obiettivo di questo studio è quello di analizzare le percezioni degli abitanti di Gran Canaria nei confronti degli effetti del turismo sportivo, in settori quali l'impatto, la qualità della vita e il sostegno al settore. I risultati dello studio indicano che, a livelli più elevati di percezione positiva da parte dei residenti degli impatti sociali, culturali, ambientali ed economici, vi è un maggiore sostegno allo sviluppo del turismo. D'altra parte, c'è anche un significativo effetto mediatore della variabile qualità della vita dei residenti, tra la relazione degli impatti percepiti e il sostegno allo sviluppo del turismo attivo e sportivo a Gran Canaria. Questi risultati permettono di comprendere meglio la prospettiva che i residenti hanno nei confronti del settore del turismo sportivo, cosa che può aiutare a guidare le future decisioni sulla pratica, lo sviluppo e la pianificazione del turismo sportivo.

Twitter Users’ Displays of Affect in the Global Warming Debate

2021 ◽  
pp. 004728162110078
Author(s):  
Shanna Cameron ◽  
Alexandra Russell ◽  
Luke Brake ◽  
Katherine Fredlund ◽  
Angela Morris
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Global Warming ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Technical Communication ◽  
Research Team ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Climate Change Research ◽  
Quantitative Content ◽  
Twitter Users

This article engages with recent discussions in the field of technical communication that call for climate change research that moves beyond the believer/denier dichotomy. For this study, our research team coded 900 tweets about climate change and global warming for different emotions in order to understand how Twitter users rely on affect rhetorically. Our findings use quantitative content analysis to challenge current assumptions about writing and affect on social media, and our results indicate a number of arenas for future research on affect, global warming, and rhetoric.

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