Digital Commons Network^™

Sportsmanship Attitudes As A Moderator Of The Relationship Between Team Identification And Spectator Aggression Attitudes, Andrew Rudd, Sarah Stokowski

Publications

The National Collegiate Athletic Association has long been concerned with the prac­tice of sportsmanship. However, frequent displays of spectator aggression at collegiate sport events demonstrates a grave contradiction. Fans level of team identification is considered a key influence on spectator aggression. Alternatively, sport marketers have found that team identification plays a vital role in fan consumption (e.g., tickets and merchandise). In the interest of reducing aggressive fan behavior without damp­ening the sport managers' need for highly identified college sports fans, we sought to assess how spectator sportsmanship attitudes might serve to moderate the relationship between team identification and spectator aggression …

Using Technology For Community Engagement: Four Key Web-Based Platforms For Adoption In Extension, Chasity D. Tompkins, Erica Pullen, Cassandra Hainsworth, Bradley Averill, Rebecca Hardeman

The Journal of Extension

Extension professionals engage with communities to present programming, find solutions, and disseminate research-based knowledge. While traditional means of communication and face-to-face meetings are still important, the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the ways these professionals connect to their communities. Web-based platforms can provide unique, alternative ways to engage communities in programs, evaluations, and information sharing. Our team of Extension professionals share platforms that create engaged communities by meeting virtual demands.

Strangers Switching Their Identities: Cultural Identity Management And Performance On Social Media A Qualitative Analysis Of International Students’ Intercultural (Ex)Change Processes And Perceptions Regarding Their Stay In The United States And Countries Of Origin, Vivian Kretzschmar

All Theses

In this globalized world, cross-country travel for education has been a prevalent (5.6 million students identified as international students in 2020) and ever-increasing (with a predicted increase of 250% by 2030) trend through the past decades. The sojourn impacts the students’ experience of the new culture and the ensuing shocks and adaptations. The understanding of something as complicated as culture, trying to be integrated into a new culture, and its perception to individuals, of course, have their ways of distinct communication trends through social media.

The struggle of maintaining and changing one’s cultural identity and adaptation across cultures has been …

Tiktok, Tomatoes, And Teenagers: Using New Social Media Apps To Connect Extension Education With Younger Audiences, Coleman K. Simpson, Joseph L. Donaldson

The Journal of Extension

Social media usage has precipitated changes in Cooperative Extension’s delivery of programs to amplify involvement with selected audiences and it is important that we craft relevant content for a variety of audiences. Current research tells us that social media and related content can enrich education and can create broader audiences for programming. Resources like blogs, podcasts, and geofilters have shown to be received positively by a wide range of audiences and have created greater rates of engagement.

Yet, one platform that has received limited attention is TikTok, perhaps due to TikTok’s mixed reviews in educational systems. With current trends showing …

Cultivation 2.0: The Mediated Environment As Message In The 21st Century, Chelsea Slack

All Dissertations

It is hard to deny social media and its omnipresence is affecting users. What’s more, the online mediated environment is becoming increasingly diverse, with more social media platforms being created and used each year. What is social media doing to us? How do different platforms affect views of users? To answer these questions, this study applied cultivation theory to the mediated environment, which included the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok. With 413 respondents, the results of this study indicated that Facebook consumption is related to first order cultivation effects, and non-Facebook platforms contribute to …

Testing Social Media Water Conservation Messages That Convey Extension Evaluation Results, Laura A. Warner, Colby Silvert, Jamie Loizzo, Jarred A. Shellhouse

The Journal of Extension

In this study, we tested frames Extension professionals could use to promote residential water conservation through social media. We randomly assigned Florida residents to view one of six visual messages with water conservation facts or stories and then measured willingness to engage with education programs and conservation behaviors. There were clear differences in message frame performance, but better performance was highly dependent on outcome metrics used. Therefore, we were unable to identify a preferred frame. These findings need to be further examined in an authentic social media environment to inform best practices in social media message framing for Extension professionals.

On Moving Beyond And Looking Behind: An Analysis Of Contemporary Queer Of Color Digital Art And Performance, Caroline Kinderthain

All Theses

Queer theory has long limited its revolutionary potential by prioritizing white gay cis men in the fight for political and social change. Theorists like Roderick Ferguson, José Esteban Muñoz, Gloria Anzaldua, Audre Lorde, and Jasbir Puar, to name a few, have expanded the foundations of queer theory to account for queer people of color and the potential for queer futurity. The innovative work on queer utopia that is set up in Muñoz’s Cruising Utopia is the foundation for the performance and art analyses that shape this project. To contextualize the queer utopian looking that I find crucial to these objects, …

Money Minute: Using Short Informational Videos During Covid-19, Christopher T. Sneed, Ann A. Berry, Shelly N. Barnes, Donna D. Calhoun, Tracy V. Hagan, Marci H. Hethmon, Karen D. Jones, Barbara Metzger

The Journal of Extension

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a money crunch for some families. To help families struggling financially while capitalizing on at-home time, The University of Tennessee (UT) Extension consumer economics leadership team developed a series of money management videos called Money Minute. The primary purpose of the videos was to provide research-based financial education during this time of financial hardships. Filmed using Zoom, each video offers a piece of research-based information, additional resources, and a call to action. The video series proved to be effective in reaching clientele with financial information in the midst of a pandemic.

Social Media Use For Farmers Market Communications In Illinois, Dandan Tao, Taylor Kathryne Ruth, Janie Maxwell, Hao Feng

The Journal of Extension

Social media has been recognized as a powerful tool supporting communication of many topics in the agriculture industry. We explored the use of social media platforms among farmers market managers and specialty crop growers in Illinois through an online survey. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter were platforms used by the majority of respondents. We found that social media was used primarily for communicating with consumers for marketing purposes. We identified major training needs of farmers market stakeholders related to using social media to promote business and convey food safety information.

"We've Had Enough": Youth Activists' Pathways To Participation And Social Media Practices Following The Parkland Shooting, Allyson Marie Wilcox

All Dissertations

After the 2018 shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, students across the United States participated in a national school walkout to protest school shootings. In conducting this study, I set out to examine two aspects of youth activism in relation to social media. First, how social media affected pathways to participation for high school students who participated in the National School Walkout. Second, how youth used social media in their activism.

Multiple case study (Yin, 2014) was used to explore how eight youth activists who organized and conducted a march for gun control laws reacted to …

Forest Health Diagnostics Facebook Page: Impact And Natural Resources Programming Implications, Molly Darr, Jiri Hulcr, Jeff Eickwort, Jason Smith, William Hubbard, David Coyle

The Journal of Extension

The Southern Forest and Tree Health Diagnostics Facebook page, managed by Extension and forestry professionals in the southeastern United States, is designed to deliver forest and tree heath information to the public via a web-based, crowdsourced diagnostic service. We conducted an online survey to quantify the page's impact by identifying audience demographics, engagement levels, and perceptions of the page's value. Results indicated that stakeholders consider the Southern Forest and Tree Health Diagnostics page to be an effective diagnostics service and a valuable educational tool. This model could be used in other natural resources program areas to increase the reach of …

Behind The Handle: Exploring The Experience Of Social Media Managers For Professional Sports Teams, Megan Courage

All Theses

The current study aims to expand sports communication literature from an organizational standpoint. Current literature does not recognize social media departments as an integral part of organizational communication, but rather as a function of public relations (PR) strategy. This study consists of semi-structured, in-depth interviews with social media managers currently working for a professional sports team. Participants discuss their experience working within a professional sports organization, including their interdepartmental structure and relationships, and aspects of their job that they think the general public would be surprised to learn. The study builds upon existing literature concerning sports communication, social media, PR, …

Extension Needs Outreach Innovation Free From The Harms Of Social Media, Jonathan J. Swinton

The Journal of Extension

Despite the outreach-building benefits of social media for Extension, it is time for Extension professionals to find new innovative ways to reach out that do not involve social media. An increasing body of research has demonstrated the harms social media use imparts on the health and well-being of those in our communities. Our future use of social media as a primary method of outreach may perpetuate these harms, requiring our best efforts to develop new methods of outreach that do not negatively affect those we serve.

Day To Day Eats: Using An Educational Blog To Extend Nutrition Education, Tyler L. Beale, Chelsea A. Kennard, Jamie S. Dollahite, Joan D. Paddock

The Journal of Extension

An educational blog was created for the purposes of extending learning beyond the reach of organized classes and supplementing the core themes of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program. Focus group members reacted to the format, content, visual appeal, and writing style of the blog and addressed their likelihood of reading the blog because of these elements. Their overall acceptance of the blog as a relevant source of nutrition information confirms the usefulness of this mode of social media for expanding the sharing of information beyond in-person interactions.

Marketing For Next Gen Extension Clientele Through The Use Of Geofilters, Jamie Davis, Samara Rufener, Alan Dennis, Ann Marie Murphy

The Journal of Extension

Research supports Extension educators' use of social media as an engagement, outreach, and marketing tool beyond posts shared by staff and faculty. This article highlights the practical use of Snapchat geofilters at county and statewide Extension events to support the creation of user-generated content and increase Extension's visibility with the public. The development and implementation of an innovative statewide marketing project resulted in data and recommendations that can help Extension educators make meaningful marketing decisions.

That Uplifting Tweet You Just Shared? A Russian Troll Sent It, Darren Linvill, Patrick Warren

Publications

Internet trolls don’t troll. Not the professionals at least. Professional trolls don’t go on social media to antagonize liberals or belittle conservatives. They are not narrow minded, drunk or angry. They don’t lack basic English language skills. They certainly aren’t “somebody sitting on their bed that weighs 400 pounds,” as the president once put it. Your stereotypical trolls do exist on social media, but the amateurs aren’t a threat to Western democracy

Professional trolls, on the other hand, are the tip of the spear in the new digital, ideological battleground. To combat the threat they pose, we must first understand …

The Effectiveness Of Multimedia Digital Graphics In The Context Of A Simulated Content Environment, Christopher Knox

All Theses

The overall purpose of this thesis was to evaluate the effectiveness and potential benefits or shortcomings of digital motion graphics when utilized in the context of a real-world marketing effort. It is vital to evaluate whether or not the understanding we currently have of motion graphics as a tool for effective communication still remains consistent when principles of visual noise, attention capacity limits, pairing with physical materials, and coordination across mediums are taken into consideration. Participants in this study were asked to interact with prepared content within the framing of a simulated social media feed viewed on a computer or …

Using A Blog And Social Media To Market Extension, Gregory A. Davis, Mariah K. Stollar

The Journal of Extension

Extension professionals at all levels can use popular social media platforms to increase awareness of Extension. This article explores how our team of Extension professionals has used a blog in combination with Facebook on a weekly basis to better market Extension and our work. Every Extension professional can easily become part of a deliberate effort to more actively connect with stakeholders by using these tools.

Linking 4-H To Linksters, Matthew Newman

The Journal of Extension

Advances in communication technology and associated social changes have provided opportunities as well as challenges for 4-H. Historically, the 4-H club model was predicated on a community's coming together to provide youth members opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of their respective projects. The paradox is that as communities have become more connected through cell phones and social media, face-to-face, person-to-person interaction has decreased. To stay relevant for the next hundred years, 4-H must adapt to this circumstance. This article explores the importance of leveraging technology to bring young people together, foster a sense of community for them, and instill …

Evaluating Promotional Efforts For Driving Traffic To An Extension Outreach Website, Tim Campbell, Bret Shaw, Amulya Rao, Jenna Klink

The Journal of Extension

As online communication becomes more important to Extension professionals, understanding how promotional strategies affect the number of people accessing online content also becomes more important. We tracked website visits resulting from four different promotional efforts to understand relative effectiveness of these efforts. Each effort was unique in cost, efficacy, and efficiency. We found that using multiple promotional approaches to drive traffic to educational content can increase engagement over time and allow for reaching larger audiences.

Ten Tools For Creating Attention-Getting Social Media Messages, Barbara O'Neill

The Journal of Extension

It is not enough to simply post text in social media messages. Tweets with images garner three times more engagement, such as through likes, retweets, follows, clicks, and comments. Social media messages without accompanying visuals are a missed opportunity. This article describes 10 simple tools and accompanying techniques for creating attractive graphics and videos for use with social media: Canva, Paint, Piktochart, grayed out images, hand-drawn sketches, stock images, personal photos, PicCollage, GIFs, and Boomerang. Visuals should be copyright free and fit the content of a post. Time can be saved through repurposing existing images and videos for use in …

Assessing The Social Media Use And Needs Of Small Rural Retailers: Implications For Extension Program Support, Jihyeong Son, Linda S. Niehm, Daniel W. Russell, Juyoung Lee

The Journal of Extension

To assess small rural retailers' use of social media and the role of social media in their business sustainability, we conducted focus group interviews with small business owners/managers from rural communities in a midwestern state. Participants revealed strong interest in social media, especially for use in sales and marketing. However, their engagement in social media was limited due to lack of knowledge and resources (i.e., time, human resources, financial resources, effectiveness measurement) related to developing and updating content. On the basis of these findings, we examine implications for Extension professionals and outreach educators regarding social media needs and programming for …

Fixing The Sic: Preventing And Managing Self-Inficted Crises, Andrew S. Pyle

Publications

Social media platforms provide channels for both individuals and organizations to engage with global audiences. A successful social media message can reach millions and shape the way the public views a particular person, group, or cause. As organizations become more engaged with the public through social media platforms, a new area of organizational risk has also developed. It is possible for an organization to create a self-inflicted crisis through the unintentional transmission of a poorly worded or ill-conceived social media message. This type of self-induced crisis event creates organizational conflict that must be managed quickly. This chapter explores three cases …

Follow A Researcher: Using Innovative Technology To Connect Youths And Scientists, Laura Wilson, Jennifer Lobley, Gregory Kranich

The Journal of Extension

Today's technology connects audiences to research-based knowledge and experts anywhere and at any time. Using social media allows Extension professionals to provide on-demand, asynchronous access to information. Synchronous, or real-time, interaction affords a more active and personal experience. The University of Maine has developed a program that facilitates live conversations between youths and graduate students conducting scientific research in remote locations around the world. This article describes a model for effectively using social media and satellite communication devices to engage kindergarten-through-grade-12 audiences with Extension in innovative ways.

Producing Dubbed-Language Videos To Reach Audiences Across Cultures, Ben Waterman, Alisha Laramee

The Journal of Extension

Extension educators are increasingly using social media for outreach and information delivery. But are the Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channels of the world reaching across cultures to non-English speakers, recently resettled refugees or immigrants, migrant workers, or other underserved Extension audiences? After producing and screening over a dozen educational videos dubbed into various languages, we have found videos to be empowering educational tools for engaging nontraditional audiences, especially when screened offline in public workshops. This article outlines techniques for using videos to specifically target historically underserved audiences and non-English speakers by integrating culturally important themes and language voice-overs.

Exploring Destination Image Themes On Twitter, Before, During, And After Terror Attacks In Paris: An Application Of Agenda Setting Theory, Zeynep A. Gedikoglu

All Dissertations

Paris, France is one of the most popular tourism destinations in the contemporary tourism industry. In November 2015, Paris experienced the deadliest terror attacks in its history. Newspapers and broadcast media spread the information through news, while masses have utilized social media to get instant information. The main purpose of this study is to explore how the destination image of the capital of France, Paris, is affected by the terror crisis. The study has explored user-generated social media data before, during, and after the November 2015 terror attacks in Paris to understand factors of the destination image. Correspondingly, by accessing …

Impact Of An Extension Social Media Tool Kit On Audience Engagement, Aileen S. Garcia, Dipti Dev, Colin M. Mcginnis, Tyler Thomas

The Journal of Extension

Extension professionals can improve their use of social media as channels for extending programmatic efforts by maximizing target audience reach and engagement. We describe how implementation of a tool kit highlighting best practices for using social media improved Extension professionals' efforts to engage target audience members via social media. Specifically, we found that after having access to the tool kit, Extension professionals were able to prompt greater participation and engagement from the applicable target audience across three online platforms—Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Our findings indicate that Extension professionals can benefit from learning how to use social media more purposefully and …

Integrating Decision Aids To Enhance The Sensemaking Process Of Online Information Consumers In Social Media, Amal Pradeep Ponathil

All Theses

With the increase in the number of online review websites, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become a vital information source for consumers. People share their views on the Internet in different forms from blogs to reviews on various websites. At the same time, people prefer to remain anonymous or use fake virtual identities for reasons extending from privacy to enjoyment. This freedom afforded by anonymity has led people to write posts without fully considering the potential consequences of their actions. Moreover, there is increasing concern about the trustworthiness of such posts as there is typically no editorial process for verification of …

Unique Approach To Creating And Implementing A Social Media Strategic Plan, Jamie Davis, Karissa Dishon

The Journal of Extension

Social media is a valuable communication, outreach, and marketing tool, yet Extension educators often underutilize social media due to concerns related to lack of guidance and perceived risks. This article showcases a unique approach to creating a social media strategic plan that applies best practices from the field of marketing and addresses Extension educators' apprehensions about using social media. The development and implementation of a statewide plan provided opportunities for each Extension educator to support the plan in varying meaningful ways according to his or her time availability, interest, and comfort level.

The Role Of Selected Social Media Platforms In Travel To Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, Ugand, Ingrid Nyonza Nyakabwa

All Theses

In recent years, numerous sources of social media have increasingly played an important role in tourism marketing, and have had a profound effect on Destination Management Organisations' ability to effectively promote their destinations. With the emergence of more social media platforms, there are more tourism stakeholders recognising the increased importance to access information for tourists related to their destinations of interest. For example, tourist destination managers use Social media to provide information about their travel and tour packages, specific tourist attractions, accommodation costs, guiding services, and all other travel related information. Tourists use social media in their planning process to …