scholarly journals Getting the food out: A content analysis of the online communication of Seattle food banks during the initial response to COVID-19

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Audrey Immel ◽  
Yona Sipos ◽  
Amber Khan ◽  
Nicole Errett
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Food Availability ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Food Banks ◽  
Community Food Security ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Media Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened food availability, accessibility, and acceptability. Food banks are experiencing increased demand at the same time as operational challenges due to COVID-19. The objective of this study was to assess if and how food banks have utilized web and social media platforms to communicate dynamic information relevant to food security to a growing clientele amid a widespread emergency. We conducted a content analysis of web and social media communications made by 25 Seattle food banks in April and May 2020, which corresponded with the two full months of Washington Governor Inslee’s initial stay-at-home order (March 25–May 31, 2020). We developed and applied a codebook to assess if communications contained information related to food availability, accessibility, and acceptability in the context of COVID-19, as well as other descriptive information, such as changes to food bank operations. Our findings show that food banks in Seattle communicated the most on web and social media platforms about food avail¬ability and accessibility, while they communicated less commonly about food acceptability. Past disasters have exposed the need to include food acceptability in disaster planning to ensure that emergency food can be equitably distributed and consumed by diverse populations. Our results suggest that food banks may wish to periodically assess the main themes of their online communications and the reach of their different platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic as one strategy to facilitate community food security.

Evolving In Step or Poles Apart?

2015 ◽  
pp. 1307-1330
Author(s):  
Karolina Koc-Michalska ◽  
Darren G. Lilleker
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Comparative Studies ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Sales Strategy ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Online Strategies ◽  
Web Cartography

Comparative studies are rare in the study of online communication campaigning. The authors chose two cases, Poland and France, to describe the two campaigns for the Parliamentary elections. Content analysis allowed the authors to detect online communication strategies and parties' attempt to reach different audiences. Web-cartography illustrates the parties' network connections. The authors find strong cross-country and resource-based differences for the more interactive and engaging features (Web 2.0), which are not that powerful for explaining audience-targeting strategies. Overall a sales strategy and a focus on marketing dominated over e-representation (exhibiting the parties' political record). In both countries social media platforms are well incorporated into online strategies. Facebook dominates in Poland, Twitter in France. Web cartography gives a counterintuitive picture of the Polish parties' network being much more personalized but also of more ghettoing within the supporting environment.

Evolving In Step or Poles Apart?

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolina Koc-Michalska ◽  
Darren G. Lilleker
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Parliamentary Elections ◽  
Sales Strategy ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Online Strategies ◽  
Cross Country ◽  
Web Cartography

Comparative studies are rare in the study of online communication campaigning. The authors chose two cases, Poland and France, to describe the two campaigns for the Parliamentary elections. Content analysis allowed the authors to detect online communication strategies and parties' attempt to reach different audiences. Web-cartography illustrates the parties' network connections. The authors find strong cross-country and resource-based differences for the more interactive and engaging features (Web 2.0), which are not that powerful for explaining audience-targeting strategies. Overall a sales strategy and a focus on marketing dominated over e-representation (exhibiting the parties' political record). In both countries social media platforms are well incorporated into online strategies. Facebook dominates in Poland, Twitter in France. Web cartography gives a counterintuitive picture of the Polish parties' network being much more personalized but also of more ghettoing within the supporting environment.

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.

A shift from science to politics : a content analysis of COVID-19 Videos on YouTube (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chyun-Fung Shi ◽  
Matthew C So ◽  
Sophie Stelmach ◽  
Arielle Earn ◽  
David J D Earn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Health Campaigns ◽  
Public Attention ◽  
Conflicting Information ◽  
Social Media Platforms

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic is the first pandemic where social media platforms relayed information on a large scale, enabling an “infodemic” of conflicting information which undermined the global response to the pandemic. Understanding how the information circulated and evolved on social media platforms is essential for planning future public health campaigns. OBJECTIVE This study investigated what types of themes about COVID-19 were most viewed on YouTube during the first 8 months of the pandemic, and how COVID-19 themes progressed over this period. METHODS We analyzed top-viewed YouTube COVID-19 related videos in English from from December 1, 2019 to August 16, 2020 with an open inductive content analysis. We coded 536 videos associated with 1.1 billion views across the study period. East Asian countries were the first to report the virus, while most of the top-viewed videos in English were from the US. Videos from straight news outlets dominated the top-viewed videos throughout the outbreak, and public health authorities contributed the fewest. Although straight news was the dominant COVID-19 video source with various types of themes, its viewership per video was similar to that for entertainment news and YouTubers after March. RESULTS We found, first, that collective public attention to the COVID-19 pandemic on YouTube peaked around March 2020, before the outbreak peaked, and flattened afterwards despite a spike in worldwide cases. Second, more videos focused on prevention early on, but videos with political themes increased through time. Third, regarding prevention and control measures, masking received much less attention than lockdown and social distancing in the study period. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests that a transition of focus from science to politics on social media intensified the COVID-19 infodemic and may have weakened mitigation measures during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is recommended that authorities should consider co-operating with reputable social media influencers to promote health campaigns and improve health literacy. In addition, given high levels of globalization of social platforms and polarization of users, tailoring communication towards different digital communities is likely to be essential.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Gun Advertisements on Social Media: Systematic Search and Content Analysis of Twitter and YouTube Posts (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Jordan ◽  
James Kalin ◽  
Colleen Dabrowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Systematic Search ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Corporate Ownership ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Streaming Services ◽  
Youtube Videos ◽  
Different Characteristics

BACKGROUND Although gun violence has been identified as a major public health concern, the scope and significance of internet gun advertising is not known. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to quantify the characteristics of gun advertising on social media and to compare the reach of posts by manufacturers with those of influencers. METHODS Using a systematic search, we created a database of recent and popular Twitter and YouTube posts made public by major firearm manufacturers and influencers. From our sample of social media posts, we reviewed the content of the posts on the basis of 19 different characteristics, such as type of gun, presence of women, and military or police references. Our content analysis summarized statistical differences in the information conveyed in posts to compare advertising approaches across social media platforms. RESULTS Sample posts revealed that firearm manufacturers use social media to attract audiences to websites that sell firearms: 14.1% (131/928; ±2.9) of Twitter posts, 53.6% (228/425; ±6.2) of YouTube videos, and 89.5% (214/239; ±5.1) of YouTube influencer videos link to websites that facilitate sales. Advertisements included women in efforts to market handguns and pistols for the purpose of protection: videos with women included protection themes 2.5 times more often than videos without women. Top manufacturers of domestic firearms received 98 million channel views, compared with 6.1 billion channel views received by the top 12 YouTube influencers. CONCLUSIONS Firearm companies use social media as an advertising platform to connect viewers to websites that sell guns. Gun manufacturers appropriate YouTube servers, video streaming services, and the work of YouTube influencers to reach large audiences to promote the widespread sale of consumer firearms. YouTube and Twitter subsidize gun advertising by offering server and streaming services at no cost to gun manufacturers, to the commercial benefit of Google and Twitter’s corporate ownership.

scholarly journals “Best of both worlds”: A students-as-partners near-peer moderation program improves student engagement in a course Facebook group

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 169-181
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jay ◽  
Michelle Lim ◽  
Khalid Hossain ◽  
Tara White ◽  
Syed Reza Naqvi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
The Third ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Effective Use ◽  
Senior Students ◽  
Traditional Learning Environments

Social media platforms like Facebook are designed to facilitate online communication and networking, primarily around content posted by users. As such, these technologies are being considered as potential enhancements to traditional learning environments. However, various barriers to effective use may arise. Our research investigated the effectiveness of a students-as-partners near-peer moderation project, arising from collaboration between instructors and senior students, as a vehicle for enhancing student interaction in a Facebook group associated with a large introductory science course. The quantity and quality of sample posts and comments from Facebook groups from three successive academic years were evaluated using a rubric that considered characteristics such as civility, content accuracy, critical thinking and psychological support. Two of these groups were moderated by near-peer students while the third group was not moderated.  We found improved course discussion associated with moderated groups in addition to benefits to moderators and the faculty partner. This suggests that near-peer moderation programs working in collaboration with faculty may increase student engagement in social media platforms.

scholarly journals Examining the Role of Facebook in the Dissemination of Hate Messages over the Agitation for Biafra in Ikeja, Lagos

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (09) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ogbu S. U. ◽  
Olupohunda Bayo Festus
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
The World ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods ◽  
Method Approach

In Nigeria, during the agitation for Biafra by the Nnamdi Kanu-led Indigenous People of Biafra between 2013 and 2017, the role of Facebook in the dissemination of hate messages by the protagonists and those in opposition to the agitation raised concern about the role of social media as a tool for the spread of hate messages. It is against this background that this research was designed to evaluate the role of Facebook in the spread of hate messages over the agitation for the separate state of Biafra. The study adopted the exploratory design and the mix method approach; both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed. For the quantitative data, 400 questionnaires were administered on purposively sampled respondents. The surveys were analyzed using simple percentages and frequency distribution. Also, content analysis of some purposively selected Facebook messages was carried out. In the end, the research found that hate messages were propagated through Facebook using six major channels during the agitation for Biafra between 2013 and 2017. They include; Facebook Personal Profiles, Status Updates and Wall Postings, Facebook Group Chats, Facebook Video Uploads, Individual Comments and Likes, Video Shares and Reposts, and sharing of articles and links to other social media platforms. In line with its findings, the research recommended that Facebook should review its community standards and policies on postings of hate messages through its medium and also strengthen its regulatory mechanisms to ensure that it does not provide a platform anymore for propagators of hate messages in Nigeria and around the world.

Hyperreality of #BlackLivesMatter Movement on Social Media

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 288-303
Author(s):  
Ghozian Aulia Pradhana ◽  
◽  
Syaifa Tania ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
African American ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Social Movement ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
The Other ◽  
The Social ◽  
True Meaning ◽  
Social Media Platforms

This study aims to reveal how hyperreality is reflected in using the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on social media. The death of an African-American, George Floyd, that involved white police, has sparked outrage and demonstrations in many U.S. states. Issues pertaining to racism sparked in relation to the event, and many people protested demanding justice. The demand for justice then went into a wave of massive global protests both in offline and online realities—the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag was widely used on social media when protests were held. The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag even became a trending topic on several social media platforms, as if everyone was concerned about the issue and aiming for the same purpose. However, we might find several posts that neither reflected nor were related to the case. Some social media users put the hashtag even though their content substance was not related. This phenomenon then led to a condition of hyperreality in questioning reality from a simulation of reality. The method used in this study is content analysis which measures the sentiment of comments on Twitter and Instagram. The study found that social networking sites mobilised online movements even though they were not directly related to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. On the other hand, hashtag activism reduced the true meaning of the social movement. Therefore, the hyperreality in #BlackLivesMatter could not be seen any longer as a form of massive protests demanding justice and ending violence, but merely to gain more digital presence on social media. Keywords: Black lives matter, movement, social media, hyperreality, hashtag activism.

A Comparative View of Censored and Uncensored Political Discussion

2017 ◽  
pp. 269-282
Author(s):  
Qihao Ji
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chinese Government ◽  
Political Discussion ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Internet Censorship ◽  
Media Discourses ◽  
The Impact

Through a content analysis on Chinese online dissidents' social media discourses, this study examines the impact of Internet censorship on Chinese dissidents' political discourse in two social media platforms: Weibo and Twitter. Data was collected during a time period when China's Internet censorship was tightened. Results revealed that Chinese online dissidents are more likely to post critical opinions and direct criticism towards the Chinese government on Twitter. In addition, dissidents on Twitter are more likely to engage in discussing with others, while Weibo dissidents tend to adopt linguistic skills more often to bypass censorship. No difference was found in terms of dissidents' civility and rationality across the two platforms. Implications and future research are discussed in detail.

Evaluation of Research Trends in Social Media Crisis Communication

2021 ◽  
pp. 177-198
Author(s):  
Daniel Ikesinachi Nwogwugwu
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Research Trends ◽  
Comprehensive Review ◽  
Speed Of Response ◽  
Organizational Reputation ◽  
Social Media Platforms

An organization's survival during a crisis often depends on its speed of response. The introduction of social media into crisis communication discourse has meant that organizations must revisit their crisis communication strategies. This chapter explores a content analysis of the integration of social media platforms into crisis communication based on a comprehensive review of eight purposively selected crisis studies conducted globally. Findings revealed that Facebook and Twitter are increasingly employed as platforms for crisis communication. It was also discovered that responding to crises promptly, and engaging with the publics before, during, and after crises are crucial to managing organizational reputation. Social media platforms are also capable of spreading mis(information) about crises. Thus, organizations are advised to fully integrate and adopt social media into their crisis communication plans. This chapter extends our understanding of how social media platforms contribute to crisis communication discourse.

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