Media enhances communication to advocate policy change by making the public aware, creating high visibility and allowing the community to be heard and exercise their opinion, in order to influence change in policy. Once a policy is changed, the building blocks have been put in place for the community to work toward further change. The Youth Media Advocacy Project is a great example of how students and the community have come together to voice the need for changes in policy, through media, thus creating education reform.
Many media advocates utilize the approach of goal, objective, target, message, evaluation, or GOTME, as it has come to be known. Goal setting is the first step to ensure what the goal is for the campaign. The objective is what needs to happen to reach the goal. Target is about knowing the target audience. Message is providing a clear statement of concern, the consequences of not changing a policy and the policy change that needs to be implemented. Evaluation is the outcome of the campaign was a success or failure. Success or failure is determined by whether the policy changed, as a result of the media advocacy campaign.
Media was once thought of as being used for entertainment, news reporting or advertising. With changes in technology and people learning new and innovative ways, through media, to reach out to target audiences in their community, or even the world for that matter, media has proven to be a great tool for policy change. Media such as TV, radio and print can prove to be expensive. Yet, social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have proved beneficial when it comes to policy change. Social media has allowed people to connect with friends and family, network with business ass...
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.... Policy Studies Journal, 39(4), 709-736. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/912042273?accountid=3783
Joseph, S. (2012). Social Media, Political Change and Human Rights. Boston College International and Comparative Law Review, 35(1), 145-188. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1468665119?accountid=3783
June, P. (2011). Social Media's Impact on Policy Making. SERI Quarterly, 4(4), 125-129,11. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/898962358?accountid=3783
Youth Media Advocacy Project. (2012). Carlow University. Retrieved from: http://www.carlow.edu/YMAP_Youth_Media.aspx
YouTube. Our Region’s Business.(2012). Pittsburgh Students Use Media to Advocate for Change. Video. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1vyskFWjtI
In Nicholas Carr’s article “How Social Media Is Ruining Politics”, Carr writes about the effects that social media has on politics. In his article, Carr focuses more on the negative effect that social media has when it comes to politics. Some points that he makes about social media include specific examples like the recent presidential campaigns, how other technological advances over the years have effected politics, and the effectiveness that social media has on politics
While many people throughout the world see social media as a trendy new application in the service of personal amusement, the political upheavals in the Arab world have shown how it can change the dynamics of modern day activism. The Arab Spring Uprising interlaced social unrest with a technological revolution. Blogs, news websites, twitter feeds, and political list servers became avenues for communication, information flow and solidarity. Being capable of sharing an immense amount of uncensored information through social media sites has contributed to the success of many Arab Spring activists. Social media played a role in facilitating the events of the Arab Spring, but the main issues are rooted in a broader set of economic, political, and social factors. This paper will examine how social media impacted the Arab Spring Uprising. Specifically, I will look at how social media introduced a novel resource that helped to created internet activist communities, changed the dynamics of social mobilization and revolutionized interactions between protesters and the rest of the world.
To begin, the media plays a heavy role for impacting how citizens perceive an issue or a topic. Furthermore, large audiences can easily
Humans’ advancement in technology has developed greatly over the years. From child to adult, much of the population in the U.S. has access to the Internet. For many people, the Internet is used to connect socially through sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. But while individuals are using the Internet for a social stomping ground, many activists are using it to expand their cause. Technology can bring about small amounts of social change; however, high risk and traditional activism are still needed to fabricate large amounts of social change.
In my opinion, social media is a way to bring the world closer and an assertion of consumer choice can be used for promoting issues that matter. A human rights activist can make an unknown story reach hundreds of thousands of people by the ‘simple click of a button’.
Social media marketing is a simple option to add to the current promotional tactics being used by an organization. It is no longer optional; social media is mandatory for nonprofit organizations (Stengel). Studies have shown that many people think social media techniques complement traditional media; even more believe that blogs and social media influence the news coverage in traditional media tactics (Wright and Hinson 2008). There are a number of professionals that believe embracing social media is the only way for public relations to continue in the digital age. For example, Robert J. Key explains, “Public relations in the digital age requires understanding how your key constituents are gathering and sharing information and then influencing them at key points; doing so requires strategies that embrace the digital age” (Wright and Hinson 2008). Larry Weber, a renowned professional in implementing global public relations campaigns, also agrees that the communications world is moving in a drastically digital direction and in order to communicate effectively, one must understand this transformation (Wright and Hinson 2008).
Different ranges is by all accounts with the new media, including the properties of new media itself, attributes of using new media, mixed media impact, and new media innovation, research on media change and how all these mix together. Social media contribute to significant changes within corporate arenas of citizenship (Whelan, Moon, & Grant, 2013). It has be said that information and communication technologies establishments retain significant capabilities with which to empower individual inhabitants to partake within public arenas of social conscience. Accordingly, our argument is not that social media make citizens, individually and/or collectively, more powerful than corporations and their stakeholders.
It is through the implementation of advocacy strategies through technology integration that have allowed practice to evolve. According to Edwards and Hoefer (2010), communication technology that allows real-time updates and expansive reach include social networking sites, online journals or blogs, and video sharing technology, like YouTube. Social networking sites are online communities that built on social interactions and relationships. In these environments there are opportunities to share ideas that can lead to large scale changes. Similarly, online journals or blogs present idea sharing for those subscribing or interested in the topic selections. Video sharing adds a facet of sharing information that can complement or strengthen a perspective. According to Tetloff, Hitchcock, Battista, and Lowry (2014), videos can encourage partnership, engage a community, and inspire thinking that is not sculpted by a preconceived notion or faculty of negative influence. The use of these technologies provide a social media venue to share messages and connect people to advocate for change and ultimately affect how and what policies are adopted for local and large scale
Safranek, Rita. 2012. The Emerging Role of Social Media in Political and Regime Change. s.l. : Proquest, 2012.
The main aim of this report is to analyze the impacts of changes in the media concerning the societal and individual view of politics and politicians. The report also describes significant milestones in mass media since the year 1960 and examines the impact of mass media on how people think politically. The report then considers the effect of technological advancements in mass media and the effect on the results of elections. The use of mass media has increased over the last fifty years in that it is a primary medium through which supporters of various campaigners share their ideas and views concerning politicians and different political parties. Through social media, behaviors and performance of several activists have brought
Policymaking is a political process which is affected by various social and economic factors (Hofferbert, 1974) and media systems play an integral role in shaping the social context in which policies are developed. Through the media, citizens learn how government policies will affect them, and governments gain feedback on their policies and programs. Media systems act as the primary channels between those who might want to influence policy and the policymakers '' controlling the scope of political discourse and regulating the flow of information. Textbook policymaking follows an orderly sequence where problems are identified, solutions devised, policies adopted, implemented, and lastly evaluated (Mazamanian & Sabatier, 1989). In reality, the policy process is more fluid, where policies are formed through the struggle of ideas of various advocacy coalitions (Sabatier, 1991) in what has been described as a policy primeval soup (Kingdon, 1995). The policies, on which the media focuses can, and often does, play an important part in determining the focal issues for policymakers.
From the words of United States President Barack Obama "Call your members of Congress. Write them an email. Tweet it using the hashtag #My2K." (Coffee). Social media has played an increasing and larger part in today's government. Social media has the power to influence elections and connect the people to the policy makers in new ways.
Assessment of Debates on Media Effects A long history lies behind question about how communication affects or influences people. Greeks developed sophisticated hypothesis about how to impress listeners through the spoken word and Aristotle was concerned with theorizing the art of speaking. Even nowadays in face-to-face conversations each of us mobilizes theories about how to influence our listeners. For instance, we wish to make others understand how we feel or what we think.
Although social media has provided todays society with instant forms of communication and ways to connect, it also created a new standard for living and has caused problems for many groups of citizens in all walks of life and has caused society to re-think its usage. There are two views about social media, either. It is a positive addition to society and its benefits outweigh the risks, or that social media causes more harm than good and it’s usage should be limited. Some of the ideas that are central to the idea that social media is a benefit to today’s society are that social media encourages increased communication with friends and family, provides fast access to breaking news and other information, and helps businesses attract new business and correspond more quickly with their existing customers.
Social media can be used in our days as a very helpful tool for many things in changing any person’s life ant attitude. It has a positive impact on the society level. These media will keep the person socially active and open to all what happened in the world. Sharing the latest news, photos, finding new friends and knowing the culture. Also, it allows for millions to keep in touch with each other and update for all the new technology. And, it helps people who have difficulties in communication with others to be more socialized and stronger and develop more confidence to feel more comfortable, protected and relaxed just sitting behind a screen. “It saved me time and money without ever requiring me to leave the house; it salvaged my social life, allowed me to conduct interviews as a reporter and kept a lifeline open to my far-flung extended family” says Leonard(231).