THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC OPINION

Abstract

Since the establishment of international news channel which covers 24-hour news cycle, it became clear that public opinion was subject to constant potential influence and flux. Even before then, those seeking to trace campaign effects in elections had acknowledged that daily surveys were needed if the dynamics of public opinion were to be explained as well as observed. It may be very hard to tell which moves first out of elite behaviour, media messages and public opinion, but it is easy to see that all three move fast. The study intend to ascertain the role of social media on international public opinion

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

• Background of the study

Social media tools such as Twitter and blogs have made a profound impact on mass media in the United States. In the last year alone, society has been witness to a swell of new blogs and media influencers while traditional media outlets in major cities have suffered cutbacks or outright liquidation (Blankenheim, 2009). This trend will no doubt have a permanent effect on the face of mass media in this country, but as the effects of these changes proliferate one must consider the impact of social media on public opinion and the shaping of an individual’s social decision-making environment. At the same time, longstanding theories about public opinion – such as the spiral of silence – are challenged by this new media environment and the behaviors associated with individual interaction within it. This thesis will explore the impact of these changes on the longstanding spiral of silence theory while providing a fresh perspective on the forming of public and individual opinion in social media environs. Even before then, those seeking to trace campaign effects in elections had acknowledged that daily surveys were needed if the dynamics of public opinion were to be explained as well as observed. It may be very hard to tell which moves first out of elite behaviour, media messages and public opinion, but it is easy to see that all three move fast. Sadly, survey research, the traditional method of charting public sentiment, is slow. It is also expensive, and getting more so as coverage and response rates decline. While the arrival of online surveys has improved speed, flexibility and cost-effectiveness, opinions can rarely be measured continuously but only at fixed and relatively broad intervals, limiting responsiveness to key or unexpected events. These limitations have restricted our knowledge of the dynamics of public opinion. There is now an alternative. The advent of the Internet, and social media and weblogs in particular, has not only transformed political communication by providing new means for party campaigning, elite communication and citizen participation. They are also an important new outlet for the expression and reporting of public attitudes. As such, they are a major source of data for public opinion researchers. Social media has been defined in many ways, but for the purposes of this report, we borrow the definition from Murphy, Hill, and Dean (2013), which is relevant for public opinion and survey research: “Social media is the collection of websites and web-based systems that allow for mass interaction, conversation, and sharing among members of a network.” Social media platforms have proliferated in recent years with a rapid increase in adoption and use by both members of the general public and specific subpopulations. Social media is not defined by a single type of platform or data. The list of popular platforms is long and can change rapidly. Platform types include blogs, microblogs, social networking services, content sharing and discussion sites, and virtual worlds. According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, as of 2013, 81% of the U.S. adult population had Internet access, and of that population, 73% used social media. This rate differs most significantly by age group, but has increased dramatically over the last several years among all age groups. The largest demographic difference is by age. Social networking sites are currently being used by 9 in 10 18-29 year olds but fewer than half of the 65+ population. (Duggan and Smith, 2013a). Although social media popularity overall has skyrocketed in recent years, the popularity of individual social media sites has risen and fallen over time. Certain other social media platforms are highly popular outside the U.S. And many platforms have changed in the features and access they offer over time. Data from social media platforms capture a variety of information and come in several different formats, with different access methods and levels of availability. Social media data can be purely text based or include audio or visual components. Data from social media sites can be accessed directly through the platform itself or through a range of partially to fully automated methods. The specific types of information available can also change rapidly in the social media world. Platforms sometimes release large changes in both features and access with little to no warning. A bounty of data is freely available to researchers, but the availability of data for research purposes is largely dependent on the terms and conditions of each site and is subject to change with little or no notice. By taking public opinion as the object of study and social media as the source of data, we provide a clear focus for the study. But both key terms can and should be interpreted broadly, there are some circumstances were public opinion might be a dependent variable, and independent variable, a target for measurement or a concept for theorising on the role of the social media on international public opinion

• STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

Public opinion in Nigeria has gain prominence and recognition in the international community since the advent of social media in Nigeria. This is because it is no longer cumbersome in passing once or group opinion across to the outside world. But the major challenge on the role of the social media on international public opinion still remain in the literacy level of the users of this media as most information published on the media is characterized with bias and political affiliation. Social publishing tools consist of a unique communication medium framed in the construct of computer-mediated communication. They include consumer-generated content on sites such as YouTube and Twitter as well as the proliferation of personal and professional blogs. By their very nature, these tools are subject to a profound lack of traditional social context cues (Griffith, 2009), and increase the instances of anonymous activity. This creates a compelling new set of challenges for traditional communication theory and theorists, particularly NoelleNeumann’s spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann, 1984). As she put forth in the theory, NoelleNeumann believed that the process of opinion forming and sharing was based on one’s.

• OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The main objective of the study is to ascertain the role of the social media on international public opinion. However, for the successful completion of the study, the following sub objectives were put forward by the researcher:

1. To ascertain the role of the media on public opinion
2. To ascertain which social media is more impactul of the on international public opinion

• To evaluate the relationship between social media and public opinion

1. To ascertain the impact of the social media on delivering credible public opinion
   • RESEARCH QUESTION

For the successful completion of the study, the following research questions were formulated:

1. What is the role of the media on public opinion?
2. Which social media is more effective on international public opinion?

• What is the relationship between public opinion and social media?

1. What is the impact of the social media on delivering credible public opinion?

1.5 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

It is conceived that at the completion of the study, the findings will be of great benefit to the print media in airing the people’s opinion; the study will also be of great benefit to the users of the social media on delivering adequate information to the international scene.

It is conceived that the study will also be of great importance to researcher who are in need of information on similar field. Finally, the study will also be of great importance to lecturers, teacher’s students and the general public.

• SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

The scope of the study is the role of the social media on international public opinion. However, the study has some constrained and limitations which are:

1. a) AVAILABILITY OF RESEARCH MATERIAL: The research material available to the researcher is insufficient, thereby limiting the study
2. b) TIME: The time frame allocated to the study does not enhance wider coverage as the researcher has to combine other academic activities and examinations with the study.
3. c) FINANCE: The finance available for the research work does not allow for wider coverage as resources are very limited as the researcher has other academic bills to cover.

1.7 DEFINITION OF TERMS

Social media

Social media are computer-mediated technologies that allow the creating and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks. The variety of stand-alone and built-in social media services currently available introduces challenges of definition. However, there are some common features.

Public opinion

The desires, wants, and thinking of the majority of the people – or the collective opinion of the people of a society or state on an issue or problem – is called public opinion. The English term “public opinion” dates back to the seventeenth century work by John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding, which contains an early consideration of the importance of public opinion in the ordering of politics. The term was derived from the French word opinion, which was first used in 1588 by Michel de Montaigne.

International public opinion

International public opinion is an international collaborative project whose aim is to give voice to public opinion around the world on international issues. As the world becomes increasingly integrated, problems have become increasingly global, pointing to a greater need for understanding between nations and for elucidating global norms. With the growth of democracy in the world, public opinion has come to play a greater role in the foreign policy process. WorldPublicOpinion.org seeks to reveal the values and views of publics in specific nations around the world as well as global patterns of world public opinion

Social Publishing Tools

Internet-based self-publishing platforms that enable all individuals to share and consume content free of editorial and other filters. Examples: Tumblr, YouTube, Blogger, Twitter and Digg.

Social Decision-Making Environment

The social media environment that a user encounters online. This environment is comprised of both a technology and a communication medium; that is, it is a mediated communication environment.

• ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY

This research work is organized in five chapters, for easy understanding, as follows Chapter one is concern with the introduction, which consist of the (overview, of the study), statement of problem, objectives of the study, research question, significance or the study, research methodology, definition of terms and historical background of the study. Chapter two highlight the theoretical framework on which the study its based, thus the review of related literature. Chapter three deals on the research design and methodology adopted in the study. Chapter four concentrate on the data collection and analysis and presentation of finding.  Chapter five gives summary, conclusion, and recommendations made of the study.

Reference

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