Social media use by public relations practitioners in Malaysia: An exploratory study

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
pp. 469-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selvamany P. Gabriel* ◽  
Chia-Hern Koh
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Public Relations Practitioners

Guiding the conversation

2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin Walden
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Relations Practitioners ◽  
Frontline Workers ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Normative Expectations ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how public relations practitioners view their role in guiding their organizations’ frontline (nonnominated) employees’ social media use and the tensions that organizations must navigate when they interact with their employees online. Design/methodology/approach This study utilizes in-depth interviews with 24 PR practitioners in the USA. Data were analyzed via grounded theory’s approach to open, axial, and select coding. Findings PR practitioners engage in three activities to guide employees’ social media use: serving as a reactive-technical resource; supporting employee communities; and responding to incidental monitoring of social media posts. Research limitations/implications The study extends stakeholder theory by describing the normative expectations that are placed on employees when it comes to discussing the organization online. Practical implications Recommendations are offered for PR practitioners regarding the boundary-respecting management of nonnominated employees’ social media use. Social implications Findings point to a greater understanding about frontline workers’ roles in supporting their organizations and the need for organizations to carefully explain social media policies. Originality/value Scholars have not fully explored the challenges that firms face when they seek to influence employees’ personal social networking activities. There is new insight about the ways in which organization can ethically engage with employees in digitally mediated spaces.

scholarly journals Plurality in the Measurement of Social Media Use and Mental Health: An Exploratory Study Among Adolescents and Young Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110353
Author(s):  
Diamantis Petropoulos Petalas ◽  
Elly A. Konijn ◽  
Benjamin K. Johnson ◽  
Jolanda Veldhuis ◽  
Nadia A. J. D. Bij de Vaate ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Media Effects ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Quadratic Functions ◽  
Adolescents And Young Adults ◽  
Social Media Use

On a daily basis, individuals between 12 and 25 years of age engage with their mobile devices for many hours. Social Media Use (SMU) has important implications for the social life of younger individuals in particular. However, measuring SMU and its effects often poses challenges to researchers. In this exploratory study, we focus on some of these challenges, by addressing how plurality in the measurement and age-specific characteristics of SMU can influence its relationship with measures of subjective mental health (MH). We conducted a survey among a nationally representative sample of Dutch adolescents and young adults ( N = 3,669). Using these data, we show that measures of SMU show little similarity with each other, and that age-group differences underlie SMU. Similar to the small associations previously shown in social media-effects research, we also find some evidence that greater SMU associates to drops and to increases in MH. Albeit nuanced, associations between SMU and MH were found to be characterized by both linear and quadratic functions. These findings bear implications for the level of association between different measures of SMU and its theorized relationship with other dependent variables of interest in media-effects research.

scholarly journals What’s in an @reply? A case study of two-way communication in Target Canada’s Twitter @replies

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annabel Lee
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Symmetrical Model ◽  
Dialogic Theory ◽  
Reply Function

This paper analyzes the Twitter @replies (responses to a user’s initial tweet) of Target Canada as the organization entered the Canadian retail landscape in the Spring of 2013. The @replies posted by Target Canada are analyzed through two lenses: Grunig’s (1992) two-way symmetrical model of public relations and Kent & Taylor’s (2001) dialogic theory of public relations. Grunig’s model argues that the symmetrical model of communication serves the interests of both organizations and their publics by emphasizing dialogue and mutually beneficial relationships (Grunig & Jaatinen, 1999). Similarly, Kent & Taylor advocate for relational interaction and relationship building between organizations and their audience. This case study will contribute to the small body of literature that focuses on Twitter’s @reply function. As social media use is an increasingly important marketing and branding tool, it is important for organizations to realize the potential that each platform can offer. Through Twitter @replies, organizations can create a balanced dialogue (where both the organization and its public participate in a dialogic exchange) and build open, mutually beneficial relationships.

An Investigation of the Effects of Social Media Browsing on Leisure Solitude in Emerging Adults

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thuy-vy Thi Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Free Time ◽  
Diary Study ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Shed Light

This exploratory study investigated the effect of social media use on emerging adults’ experiences with leisure solitude – periods of free time spent alone. First, one 14-day diary study (n = 109) was conducted to explore the effects of leisure solitude on daily affects and self-experiences and whether social media added any additional benefits or detriments. Then, two experimental studies (Study 2: n = 146; Study 3: n = 249) were conducted to home in on the effects of social media on lab-facilitated leisure solitude. Results across 3 studies revealed little evidence that social media interfered with the regulatory benefits of leisure solitude. Specifically, spending time in leisure solitude lowered arousal levels and increased calmness and relaxation at the end of the day and after just 15 minutes of it in the lab, and this effect was found despite whether participants engaged in social media or not. One interesting finding emerged: browsing on social media created feelings of inauthenticity in solitude. This finding was discussed in connection with the theory of emerging adulthood, which shed light on how emerging adults make sense of the uncertainty experienced in online space.

Proposing a model of social media user interaction with fake news

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Abhijeet R. Shirsat ◽  
Angel F. González ◽  
Judith J. May
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Fake News ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Us Presidential Election ◽  
Media Environments

Purpose This study aims to understand the allure and danger of fake news in social media environments and propose a theoretical model of the phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative research study used the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) approach to analyze how and why people used social media during the 2016 US presidential election. Findings The thematic analysis revealed people were gratified after using social media to connect with friends and family and to gather and share information and after using it as a vehicle of expression. Participants found a significant number of fake news stories on social media during the 2016 US presidential election. Participants tried to differentiate between fake news and real news using fact-checking websites and news sources and interacted with the social media users who posted fake news and became part of the echo chamber. Behaviors like these emerged in the analysis that could not be completely explained by UGT and required further exploration which resulted in a model that became the core of this study. Research limitations/implications This is a small-scale exploratory study with eight diverse participants, findings should not be generalized to larger populations. Time-specific self-reporting of information from social media and fake news during the 2016 US presidential election. Upgrading public policies related to social media is recommended in the study, contributing to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers. Practical implications Upgrade in public policies related to social media is recommended in the study and contributes to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers. Social implications Social media users are spending increased time on their preferred platforms. This study increases the understanding of the nature, function and transformation of virtual social media environments and their effects on real individuals, cultures and societies.What is original/of value about the paper?This exploratory study establishes the foundation on which to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news. Originality/value This exploratory study establishes the foundation to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news.

All about that tweet: student perceptions of professors’ social media use in the classroom

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Merle ◽  
Karen Freberg
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Student Perceptions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore whether public relations professors’ presence on social media and the inclusion of a social media assignment influence students’ perceptions of a course. Design/methodology/approach The experimental portion of this investigation consisted of a 2 (the presence or absence of a professor’s social media accounts) × 2 (the presence or absence of a social media assignment) factorial design resulting in four conditions. Findings The presence of a social media assignment positively influences students’ intent to register for a public relations course. Research limitations/implications The manipulation of a professor’s social media use and the inclusion of a social media assignment might have been too subtle. A more explicit scenario might elicit more reactions from the participants. Practical implications This study discussed key findings and best practices for professors who may want to use social media and the use of social media assignments in the classroom. Originality/value This experimental investigation emerged from a distinct need to understand whether university students expect their professors to engage in social media activities.

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