Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Blue Bell's Facebook Posts And Responses During The 2015 Listeria Crisis: A Case Study, Kelsi Opat, Haley Magness, Erica Irlbeck

Journal of Applied Communications

Blue Bell Creameries faced an unprecedented situation when it pulled all of its products during a Listeria outbreak in 2015. Despite a very public crisis that resulted in three deaths, Blue Bell survived the disaster and maintained a large and loyal customer base. A content analysis of the Blue Bell Ice Cream Facebook page was conducted to evaluate Blue Bell’s public communications, and its followers’ public reactions to the Facebook communication during the crisis. Results indicated that Blue Bell primarily posted messages that included recall and restocking information, thankfulness to stakeholders, and details about improvements to food safety during the …

Inside The Virtual Ambazonia: Separatism, Hate Speech , Disinformation And Diaspora In The Cameroonian Anglophone Crisis, Sombaye Eyango Jules Roger

Master's Theses

This study examines the dynamics of the anglophone separatist claims in Cameroon, the so-called “Anglophone Crisis”. I focus on explaining why the separatist claims reemerged in 2016 after being shut down for about 20 years. It explains how the Anglophone separatist revendications have sustained over time despite the extremely centralized power of the Paul Biya government.This paper first argues that the Anglophone Crisis is more than an identity struggle between Anglophone/Francophone Cameroonians, but rather a conflict about historical and institutional grievances, political competition, and regional politics involving the neighboring state of Nigeria.

Second, it verifies the hypothesis that the sustainability …

The Circulation Of Climate Change Denial Online: Rhetorical And Networking Strategies On Facebook, Emma Frances Bloomfield, Denise Tillery

Communication Studies Faculty Publications

This study uses a topical, rhetorical approach to analyze how climate change denial circulates online through the 25 most popular posts on the Watts Up With That and the Global Warming Policy Forum Facebook pages. These groups adopt the appearance of credibility through reposting and hyperlinking, thus establishing a supportive, networked space among other skeptical sites, while distancing readers from original sources of scientific information. Visitors use a variety of rhetorical strategies to echo posts’ main themes and to discredit alternative viewpoints. Differences between the topoi and rhetorical strategies of WUWT and the GWPF show that the climate change denial …

How Do Communication Modalities Influence Intergenerational Communication?, April Pierce, Candace Payne

Concordia Journal of Communication Research

This cross-sectional study analyzes the rapidly developing landscape of online communications. In particular, it studies the modalities used by three generations, which include baby boomers, Gen X, and Gen Y/millennials. In addition to analyzing their preferred methods, researchers also studied the conflicting views on other generations. This was done through data collected from an online survey administered via email and social media posts. It was hypothesized that the gaps in communication styles between different generations would be significantly different than the other generations mentioned. Researchers found that while generational differences are still present among the three demographics studied, a significant …

Using Sas™ Software To Enhance Pedagogy For Text Mining And Sentiment Analysis Using Social Media (Twitter™) Data, Ramesh Subramanian, Danielle Cote

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This pedagogical paper describes how a graduate course in Text Mining was developed and taught in a fully online format at Quinnipiac University. The software used was SAS™ Enterprise Miner. This paper discusses the design, software used and the methodology followed in the course. A critical component of the course required the students to delve deep into social media data by completing a detailed project on analyzing sentiment analysis using large files of social media data. A sample report of this project, which was a key deliverable for the course, is described at length in this paper.

Brand Communication Through Social Media Influencers: How Organizations Can Advance Effective Relationships With Smis In Brazil, Andressa Ferreira Gaertner

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to shed light on how brands can build relationships with social media influencers (SMIs). By replicating Pang et al. (2016) research in different cultural settings, the present study identified internal and external influences that are important for SMIs routines in Brazil, generating additional enlightenment into the Mediating the Media model for SMIs and evaluating to what extent cultural differences may impact the proposed theoretical framework. The research was conducted in two major parts. The first replicated the method used previously by Pang et al. (2016), performing in-depth interviews with eight SMIs. In the second …

Data Mining Approach To The Detection Of Suicide In Social Media: A Case Study Of Singapore, Jane H. K. Seah, Kyong Jin Shim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In this research, we focus on the social phenomenon of suicide. Specifically, we perform social sensing on digital traces obtained from Reddit. We analyze the posts and comments in that are related to depression and suicide. We perform natural language processing to better understand different aspects of human life that relate to suicide.

Social Media Around The Table, Luralyn M. Helming

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

"Social media and smart phones will probably affect your next social interaction—especially social gatherings of many people."

Posting about being present with loved ones during the holidays from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation.

https://inallthings.org/social-media-around-the-table/

Work-Life Balance 2.0? An Examination Of Social Media Management Practice And Agency Employee Coping Strategies In A 24/7 Social World, Nathan Gilkerson, Betsy Anderson, Rebecca Swenson

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This study examines the work experiences of public relations agency professionals who specialize in social media and digital strategy for clients and those who manage employees tasked with monitoring, updating and responding to social media content. Building upon existing literature focused on work-life balance dynamics for strategic communicators, the research draws from a series of in-depth interviews and correspondence conducted with 26 agency professionals, representing a brand range of the industry. Participants were asked to describe how social media has impacted the nature and volume of their job responsibilities over the past five years, and to discuss how social media …

The Internet And Conspiratorial Beliefs: The Inseparable Pair, Muhammad Beni Saputra

Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia

Meskipun usianya cukup muda, Internet telah konsisten dan memainkan peran kunci dalam menciptakan dan menyebarluaskan keyakinan konspiratif. Ia juga telah memfasilitasi keyakinan konspirasi untuk tersebar luas sejak era Web 1.0 . Dengan penemuan Web 2.0 atau platform media sosial, kekuatan Internet menjadi lebih unggul yang memungkinkan berbagai argumen tentang keyakinan konspiratif tertentu bertemu. Dalam kehidupan nyata, keyakinan konspiratif yang disebarluaskan melalui Internet telah menyebabkan efek sosial yang parah khususnya mengenai vaksinasi. Adalah Internet yang membuat keyakinan konspiratif anti vaksinasi menjadi terkenal yang mengakibatkan program vaksinasi terhambat di beberapa negara termasuk di Indonesia.

Despite its quite young age, the Internet has …

The Impact Of Social Media Campaign Time Scheduling On First-Time Voters’ Political Knowledge: An Experiment On Social Media Line Campaign Among First-Time Voters In East Jakarta, Novlyanti Rizkita Putri

Jurnal Komunikasi Indonesia

Penelitian ini membahas dampak dari penjadwalan kampanye di media sosial LINE terhadap pengetahuan politik pemilih yang memilih pertama kali. Jakarta Timur dipilih sebagai ruang lingkup penelitian karena memiliki jumlah pemilih yang memilih pertama kali tertinggi di DKI Jakarta. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode kuantitatif yang digabungkan dengan eksperimen murni (two-group posttest-only design) dalam mengumpulkan data. Pengujian hipotesis dengan T-Test sampel independen. Temuan dari penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa ada perbedaan yang signifikan antara pemilih yang memilih pertama kali yang menerima informasi tentang kampanye politik di prime time dan di waktu non-prime. Perbedaan ini menghasilkan kesimpulan bahwa ada dampak yang signifikan dari penjadwalan …

Newsroom Narratives And Newsroom Solutions: Local Print Media In The Digital Age, John Pendygraft

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks solutions to vexing problems facing media institutions today by exploring media narratives n the context of established anthropological theory. It is based in one local newsroom, the Tampa Bay Times, where I have worked for 22 years. The ethnography is a personal journey that draws on those decades of newsroom experience, social science theory, participant observation, interviews with journalists, and personal reflections. It examines dangerous historic periods of social dehumanization to put the political nature of today’s local print media crisis in context, and concludes that the greatest modern challenges to legacy journalism’s broken business model …

Millennials And The Increasing Use Of Social Media: Impact On The Employee Life Cycle, Sarah M. Pryor

Student Publications

The millennial generation is a generation of society that values technology, media, and connections, all three being equally important. This paper studies and theorizes the implications that social media has had on the workplace throughout the employee life cycle and how the traditional processes of this cycle have been altered. In the workforce, this aspect of the employee life cycle incorporates all different stages an employee goes through. From networking to being hired, to forming connections with co-workers, to working hard and performing well, to being fired, social media has impacted each stage of this cycle. Social media is a …

Are Social Media Comparisons Thieves Of Joy?, Jessica F. Saunders, Asia A. Eaton

Research Briefs

Women's eating behavior is impacted by socio-cultural factors, regardless of the main social networking site they use.

Diversity In Online Advertising: A Case Study Of 69 Brands On Social Media, Jisun An, Ingmar Weber

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

Lack of diversity in advertising is a long-standing problem. Despite growing cultural awareness and missed business opportunities, many minorities remain under- or inappropriately represented in advertising. Previous research has studied how people react to culturally embedded ads, but such work focused mostly on print media or television using lab experiments. In this work, we look at diversity in content posted by 69 U.S. brands on two social media platforms, Instagram and Facebook. Using face detection technology, we infer the gender, race, and age of both the faces in the ads and of the users engaging with ads. Using this dataset, …

Empowering With Prep (E-Prep), A Peer-Led Social Media–Based Intervention To Facilitate Hiv Preexposure Prophylaxis Adoption Among Young Black And Latinx Gay And Bisexual Men: Protocol For A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Viraj V. Patel, Zoë Ginsburg, Sarit A. Golub, Keith J. Horvath, Nataly Rios, Kenneth H. Mayer, Ryunh S. Kim, Julia H. Arnsten

Publications and Research

Background: Young black and Latinx, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (YBLGBM, aged 18-29 years) have among the highest rates of new HIV infections in the United States and are not consistently reached by existing prevention interventions. Preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP), an oral antiretroviral regimen taken daily by HIV-uninfected individuals to prevent HIV acquisition, is highly efficacious in reducing HIV acquisition and could help stop the HIV epidemic in YBLGBM. Use of social media (eg, Facebook, Twitter, online dating sites) is ubiquitous among young people, providing an efficient avenue to engage YBLGBM to facilitate PrEP adoption.

Objective: …

Finding Friends: Understanding The Role Of Social Media In The Construction Of Offline Social Networks, Alecea Ritter Standlee

Sociology Faculty Publications

This presentation examined the role of social media consumption in the establishment of offline social networks among young adults. The research suggests that perceptions about political and social attitudes of individuals, based on their social media postings, may act as a filter in offline networks, potentially increasing homogeneous social networks.

Study On Recovery Of Bad Social Media Reviews In The Hospitality Industry Using Project Management Principles, Franck Legrand

Dissertations and Theses

This research is about hotel guest recovery on social media. Whenever a guest has a bad experience during their stay, they share their opinion on social media. Negative reviews can damage hotel’s performance. This research seeks to gather information on the expectations of guest based on their personal experiences. Answering guests’ complaints on social media is a difficult task, as it requires an understanding of each guest personality traits. This thesis develops a methodology in order to understand the personality of guests, provide a clear response to answer the guests feedback on social media, help hotel managers to regain trust …

Nonprofit Public Relationships On Social Media: The Public's Perspective, Brooke Lauren Smith

Theses and Dissertations

This work explores the effect of social media on expectations held by nonprofit publics as they seek to build and maintain relationships with nonprofit organizations (NPOs) in the context of expectancy violation theory, social capital, and the situational theory of publics. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 individuals who follow a nonprofit on social media to understand the public perspective on nonprofit organizations' relationship building and maintaining behaviors on social media. The study found that nonprofit publics do have specific expectations for how NPOs should build and maintain relationships on social media (i.e., high-quality posts, level of interaction being limited …

Communication Audit For Groundswell Startups, Abeer Janakat

Theses and Dissertations

This design project provides Groundswell Startups with a set of suggestions for its communication strategies based on a communication audit. The suggestions are based on marketing and communication literature, as well as, research conducted with internal and external members of Groundswell’s community. Qualitative research methods like a social media content analysis along with a focus groups and interviews were utilized to conduct the audit. The social media content analysis explores analytics features provided by Groundswell’s different platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The intent behind the communication audit and following suggestions is to support Groundswell in shaping a go-to high tech …

The Influence Of Instagram Selfies On Female Millennials’ Appearance Satisfaction, Diliara Bagautdinova

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Scholars have proved negative effects of social network sites on women’s body image caused by social comparison processes. However, only a few studies have examined the effects of Instagram on women’s appearance satisfaction and no selfies were taken into consideration in regard to that issue. The purpose of this research was to examine the social comparison theory through the lens of Instagram selfies and determine the effects of selfies on women’s appearance satisfaction. In-depth interviews with 26 female millennials, ages 18 to 32, reveal the re-defined standard of an ideal body image, shifting away from being skinny to becoming fit, …

Reputational Threats Online: Social Media As A Simultaneous Agent Of Crisis And Tool For Response And Resolution In The Case Study Of An American Academic Library, Margaret C. Stewart, Maria Atilano

Maria Atilano

This paper details a reputational threat to an American academic library where a viral social media post and associated negative comments misrepresented the institution and brand’s values. Immediately, the marketing librarian responsible for social media responded to the threat by engaging directly with the library consumers, sharing content and information with the broader online community, and reinforcing the library’s values and commitment to consumers. While the resolution to the crisis was mostly favourable, the event was unanticipated and invited a keen learning opportunity that is documented in this case study. Reflections and takeaways from this incident are discussed in the …

Tweeting Tennessee's Collections: Where Bots & Special Collections Meet, Meredith L. Hale

UT Libraries Faculty: Other Publications and Presentations

This project demonstrates how a Twitterbot can be used as an inclusive outreach initiative that breaks down the barriers between the Web and the reading room to share materials like postcards, music manuscripts, photographs, and cartoons with the public. Once in place, Twitterbots allow our physical materials to converge with the technical and social space of the Web. Twitterbots are ideal for busy professionals because they allow librarians to make meaningful impressions on users without requiring a large time investment. This poster covers my recent implementation of a digital collections bot (@UTKDigCollBot) at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and provides …

Conspiracy Theories And The Zika Epidemic, Shawn Smallman

International & Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

After a Zika outbreak began in Brazil in April 2015, narratives blamed the virus on a variety of international actors, including chemical companies and the Gates Foundation. Many of these narratives drew upon older conspiracy theories that had circulated in Latin America during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Whether these narratives denounced transgenic mosquitoes or pesticides, they reflected not only the fear created by a mysterious wave of birth defects but also a profound mistrust of health authorities and transnational corporations. This paper will examine the narratives that circulated on YouTube, blogs, podcasts, and other alternative media sources, which typically …

Public Comment Sentiment On Educational Videos: Understanding The Effects Of Presenter Gender, Video Format, Threading, And Moderation On Youtube Ted Talk Comments, George Veletsianos, Royce Kimmons, Ross Larsen, Tonia A. Dousay, Patrick R. Lowenthal

Educational Technology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scholars, educators, and students are increasingly encouraged to participate in online spaces. While the current literature highlights the potential positive outcomes of such participation, little research exists on the sentiment that these individuals may face online and on the factors that may lead some people to face different types of sentiment than others. To investigate these issues, we examined the strength of positive and negative sentiment expressed in response to TEDx and TED-Ed talks posted on YouTube (n = 655), the effect of several variables on comment and reply sentiment (n = 774,939), and the projected effects that …

Conspiracy Theories And The Zika Epidemic, Shawn C. Smallman Ph.D.

Journal of International and Global Studies

After a Zika outbreak began in Brazil in April 2015, narratives blamed the virus on a variety of international actors, including chemical companies and the Gates Foundation. Many of these narratives drew upon older conspiracy theories that had circulated in Latin America during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Whether these narratives denounced transgenic mosquitoes or pesticides, they reflected not only the fear created by a mysterious wave of birth defects but also a profound mistrust of health authorities and transnational corporations. This paper will examine the narratives that circulated on YouTube, blogs, podcasts, and other alternative media sources, which typically …

“We Smoked A Gator!”: An Exploration Of College Football Fans’ Instagramming Of Food, Mark A. Slavich, Brendan O'Hallarn, Craig A. Morehead

Communication & Theatre Arts Faculty Publications

The ritual of tailgating is a staple of college football Saturdays, particularly for fans of teams in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Fan traditions help infuse pregame gatherings around the stadiums with team spirit, as fans frequently theme their food and drink to represent their chosen team. New social media platforms—particularly photo-sharing platforms such as Instagram—have taken tailgates to the virtual space. Through interviews with participants who partake in the phenomenon, this study sought to ascertain what fans of SEC teams gain from the process of social media participation. Utilizing the critical framework of symbolic interactionism, this exploratory study examines meaning …

Like And Shout: Brand Loyalty, Framing, And Fan Interactions On The Byu Football Facebook Page, Zachary Anderson Miller

Theses and Dissertations

This research is intended to provide the stewards of social media for Brigham Young University's football program with information that will allow them to make better decisions on what kind of content will maximize engagement and enhance brand loyalty among fans and consumers on Facebook. Using several variables, including the type or theme of content, post frequency, and sponsorship, content was compared against that from the University of Oregon's football program for the 2017 season. The results, found using quantitative data analysis, reveal that some variables have a significant impact on the quantity of engagement from viewers for both programs …

Social Media Use And Its Impact On Relationships And Emotions, Spencer Palmer Christensen

Theses and Dissertations

A large majority of the people throughout the world own a smartphone and access social media on a daily basis. Because of this digital attachment, the author sought to understand to what extent this use has impacted the users' emotional well-being and offline interpersonal relationships. A sample size of 627 participants completed a mixed-methods survey consisting of Likert scale and short answer questions regarding social media use, emotional well-being and interpersonal relationships. Results revealed that the more time an individual spent on social media the more likely they were to experience a negative impact on their overall emotional well-being and …

My Choice Greens, Alina Zulfikarova, Amelia Mohr, Hesi Zhang, Ruiqi Huang, Sean Tatar, Yuhao Zhou, Zijun Zhou

School of Professional Studies

My Choice Programs for Independent Living is a nonprofit in Worcester, Massachusetts that helps individuals with special needs. In 2016, My Choice Programs added a branch to their organization called My Choice Greens. My Choice Greens is committed to growing fresh produce in their hydroponic farm. The profit generated from selling their vegetables is put back into direct programming for My Choice Programs. My Choice Greens is the first hydroponic farm in Worcester, but unfortunately not many people are aware of their program. Also, since they are a small nonprofit, they do not have sufficient funding or resources to market …