In the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers...Show moreIn the last couple of years, scholars have been arguing a decline in political participation, especially among young people. The Fridays for Future movement with thousands of young climate strikers counters these statements. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the facilitating role of social media on youth political participation. This thesis analyses how social media contributes to the formation of a collective group identity of social movements, which in turn could lead to collective political action. To answer this question, content analysis of comments on three Instagram posts by Fridays for Madrid have been used, looking at the four foundations of collective group identity: solidarity, emotional attachment, group cohesion and activist-based identification. The results demonstrate the facilitating function of social media in the formation of collective group identity, by enabling more easily and frequently interaction between participants and the social movement compared to offline social movement activities.Show less
This thesis looked at how political parties utilize social media platforms as part of their electoral strategies. To that end, the research explored the case study of Latvia through the center...Show moreThis thesis looked at how political parties utilize social media platforms as part of their electoral strategies. To that end, the research explored the case study of Latvia through the center-right populist party Kam pieder valsts [Who Owns the State] and center-right Jaunā konservatīvā partija [New Conservative Party] using content analysis methods on the parties’ pre-election Facebook entries. The research found that the two Latvian political parties utilized social media platforms predominantly to broadcast information, news, party stances/program, criticisms and attacks, and other content that does not utilize the interactive potential of social media. Furthermore, the populist party made extensive use of social media to advertise its on the ground activities, supplementing its offline strategy.Show less
This study explores the foundations of young women’s agency in processes of social change in urban Uganda. Through the lens of the concept of ‘sisterhood,’ this research examines the strategies,...Show moreThis study explores the foundations of young women’s agency in processes of social change in urban Uganda. Through the lens of the concept of ‘sisterhood,’ this research examines the strategies, struggles, and successes of young feminists challenging systemic inequality and advancing women’s rights in the country. It follows the trajectory of the women’s movement in the country and the trends of African feminist theorisation and organising across the continent. This investigation was carried out in Kampala over three months, especially in the headquarters of Akina Mama wa Afrika, a Pan-Africanist, feminist organisation. From the personal to the collective, this quest brings to the forefront the experiences and views of young Ugandan women who are involved in the feminist movement. It is argued that the idea and practice of sisterhood, understood as political solidarity amongst women, enhance their capacity to promote social transformation in Uganda. Addressing the different manifestations of this idea in context, this research analyses the role of social media and the feminist discourse facilitating this endeavour. While navigating through alternative ways of generating change, this journey explores the complexities of agency and structure in urban Africa in the 21st century, and contributes to the study of the contemporary wave of feminism in the continent.Show less
The Digital Age, or the Age of Information, has made university presses and their mission to produce top quality scholarship more important than ever before. Knowledge is at everyone’s fingertips,...Show moreThe Digital Age, or the Age of Information, has made university presses and their mission to produce top quality scholarship more important than ever before. Knowledge is at everyone’s fingertips, it is as easy as pressing a few buttons on your computer, but this ease is not unilaterally aligned with reliability. This is why university content is becoming increasingly more vital. However, limited budgets, changing markets, and a reluctance to embrace digital technologies have resulted in many university presses struggling to stay in operation. The monograph in particular is struggling to turn profits and is beginning to be viewed by portions of the academic community as outdated and a monetary burden for universities. This thesis looks at how university press monographs can survive in this changing climate, in particular by employing digital marketing strategies. It examines three major developing areas of digital marketing (big data, social media use by the press and social media use by the author). It draws on UP case studies to illustrate digital marketing engagement.Show less
This thesis investigates the topic of nationalism in Weibo posts that discuss the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Huawei. After the arrest, Weibo users quickly connected...Show moreThis thesis investigates the topic of nationalism in Weibo posts that discuss the detention of Meng Wanzhou, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Huawei. After the arrest, Weibo users quickly connected this case with broader nationalist topics, resulting in different types of nationalist reactions. This study describes how these reactions reflect, create or shape a nationalist discourse. This was done in three parts: first of all, I examined how the countries of Canada, the US and China are described. The analysis reveals that the comments describe the US as the active culprit and Canada as a more passive, docile country. Secondly, the question was formulated as to how Meng was described, as a person, as CFO of Huawei, and as a Chinese, in order to gain more insight into how these different layers of her identity coincide or contrast. This part concludes that most commenters express their support for Meng, but that her wealth and unclarity regarding her citizenship can result in a decrease of support. Finally, I investigated the ways in which nationalism can be converted into action. It became clear how consumption and nationalism can be linked: many Weibo users suggested to initiate a boycott, mainly against Apple. Simultaneously, others also reflected on the efficacy of such measures.Show less
The advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public,...Show moreThe advent of new technologies is continually changing the dynamics of political communication, making social media (especially Twitter) a direct linkage between politicians and the public, different from, for instance, TV interviews. Thus, it is generally believed that parties can take advantage of these new channels to spread their messages, and populist Eurosceptic parties are particularly expected to utilize them as a way to expand their support and visibility within the political field. Given this, further considerations could be raised on how these parties use social media. While some may argue that social media acts only as a complementary platform to maximize the reach of proposals, many scholars have pointed out that these parties use social media to make their discourse even more colloquial, mobilizing and radical. The research question to be addressed is: what is the discursive strategy of populist Eurosceptic parties on Twitter compared to the one on TV interviews?Show less
Nieuwsmedia maken vandaag de dag gretig gebruik van sociale media om hun nieuwsartikelen te delen en te promoten. In deze studie worden het profiel, de taken en de routines van diegene die deze...Show moreNieuwsmedia maken vandaag de dag gretig gebruik van sociale media om hun nieuwsartikelen te delen en te promoten. In deze studie worden het profiel, de taken en de routines van diegene die deze berichten plaatst bestudeerd, de zogenaamde social media news editor. Dit is uiterst relevant omdat deze editors gezien kunnen worden als de laatste gatekeepers in het nieuwsproces. De resultaten zijn gebaseerd op tien diepte-interviews met social media news editors van Nederlandse nieuwsmedia. Hieruit bleek dat de gemiddelde leeftijd van de social media news editors 32 is en ze allemaal hoogopgeleid zijn (waarvan de meeste met een journalistieke achtergrond). De voornaamste taak is het zo goed mogelijk verspreiden van nieuwsberichten via sociale media. De selectie van nieuwsberichten voor sociale media bestaat uit een ‘goede mix’ tussen ‘leuke’ berichten waarvan ze weten dat die goed gelezen gaan worden, en berichten die journalistiek gezien van belang zijn. Een goede prikkelende kop en boventekst (op Facebook) zijn van essentieel belang om de inhoud van het stuk zo duidelijk en wervend mogelijk neer te zetten. Dit met het doel het merk zichtbaar te maken en mogelijk nieuwe lezers te werven.Show less
In recent years, the terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have entered into common parlance. The prevalence of social media has done much to aid the spread of conspiracy theories and false or hateful...Show moreIn recent years, the terms ‘fake news’ and ‘post-truth’ have entered into common parlance. The prevalence of social media has done much to aid the spread of conspiracy theories and false or hateful information online. Historian Sophia Rosenfeld has argued that social media platforms have created a ‘wild west climate’ in which fact and fiction are muddled and popularity rather than reliability dictates the type of information that is presented to users. The primary focus of this thesis is on the role archivists can play in preserving problematic and false information that has been created and spread on social media. This paper will focus on one particular case study of false and controversial information shared on social media: the so-called ‘Irish slaves myth’ or ‘Irish slaves meme’. One of the central questions of this paper is whether this content merits a place in an archive based on its importance as a historical record. Proceeding from this question, the paper will then consider the issues that an archival institution must address if it were to create such an archive.There are many special issues that an archival institution would have to consider when creating this archive, such as appraisal (determining the archival value of the material), preservation, arrangement, description, and ethics. This paper will study these issues as they apply to the creation of a hypothetical archive of the Irish slaves meme and it will attempt to offer some solutions.Show less
The notion of the spectacle, developed in the era of traditional media, represented a sharp and accurate prediction of the society to come. Guy Debord envisioned the alienation and separation of...Show moreThe notion of the spectacle, developed in the era of traditional media, represented a sharp and accurate prediction of the society to come. Guy Debord envisioned the alienation and separation of individuals from each other and from themselves by means of images, as well as the commodification of life. At the time Debord developed his critique of the spectacle, television was increasingly expanding its monopole and flattening the general discourse to one reality. This same reality was soon to be fragmented, together with individuality, by the arrival of the internet and social media. The Italian TV program BLOB, broadcasted on Italian public television since 1989, and its presence on social media, could help us to understand more about these dynamics.Show less
‘Mensen die dít ene ding doen, leven wel tot drie jaar langer!’ zo luidt een van de vele koppen die we vandaag de dag voorbij zien komen op Facebook. Sensationele koppen verleiden ons om te klikken...Show more‘Mensen die dít ene ding doen, leven wel tot drie jaar langer!’ zo luidt een van de vele koppen die we vandaag de dag voorbij zien komen op Facebook. Sensationele koppen verleiden ons om te klikken, maar vinden we ze ook betrouwbaar? Dit onderzoek richt zich op de betrouwbaarheid van Facebookposts die gebaseerd zijn op wetenschappelijk onderzoek. Er is gekeken of de kop (sensationeel of niet-sensationeel) en de bron (nieuwsmedium of lifestyle medium) invloed hebben op de beoordeling van de betrouwbaarheid door een specifieke doelgroep, namelijk jonge vrouwen tussen de 18-26 jaar. Naast de waargenomen betrouwbaarheid worden ook de deskundigheid, aantrekkelijkheid en attitude gemeten. De onderzoeksvraag luidt: Hoe beoordelen jonge vrouwen de betrouwbaarheid van sensatieberichtgeving op Facebook, dat gebaseerd is op wetenschappelijk onderzoek? Dit is onderzocht door middel van een online experiment waarbij proefpersonen een nagebootste Facebookpost te zien kregen van RTL Nieuws of Cosmopolitan met sensationele kop of een niet-sensationele kop. Daarna moesten zij vragen beantwoorden waarna de waargenomen betrouwbaarheid, deskundigheid, aantrekkelijkheid en attitude gemeten werd. Uit de resultaten is gebleken dat Facebookposts van een nieuwsmedium met een niet-sensationele kop als meest betrouwbaar worden gezien, en posts van een lifestyle medium met sensationele kop als het minst betrouwbaar. Toch waren de gemiddelde scores in alle condities relatief aan de lage kant, wat wellicht duidt op een sceptische houding tegenover wetenschappelijk nieuws, geschreven door zowel nieuwsmedia als lifestyle media. Of dat zo is, moet uit toekomstig onderzoek blijken.Show less
The article examines the use of social media during crisis events. In this particular case, the focus is on the use of Twitter in meaning-making processes during terrorist attacks in Paris and...Show moreThe article examines the use of social media during crisis events. In this particular case, the focus is on the use of Twitter in meaning-making processes during terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels. The article examines how visual material in the form of images was used on Twitter in order to create counter-discourses alongside the dominant discourse.Show less
Has the internet, and in particular social media, increased political polarization in presidential elections in the United States? Political polarization has been increasing in recent years....Show moreHas the internet, and in particular social media, increased political polarization in presidential elections in the United States? Political polarization has been increasing in recent years. Ideological polarization is mainly caused by elite polarization and partisan media. In periods of presidential elections, however, social media plays a big role in influencing the public via candidate’s online campaigns but also via online activity of partisan media. The factor of engagement and the ability to create a partisan “echo chamber” on online platforms are reasons why social media has an impact on the electorate. This thesis finds that the internet and social media have had a noticeable impact on political polarization in presidential elections in the United States, but are not a sole or main cause of the increase.Show less
On the 14th of February, 2018, the United States was confronted with yet another school shooting. This time it was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nicolas Cruz killed...Show moreOn the 14th of February, 2018, the United States was confronted with yet another school shooting. This time it was at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Nicolas Cruz killed 17 people and injured another 14 people with an assault rifle he legally obtained. As mass shootings are a common occurrence in the United States, reactions to one are often predictable and changes regarding gun control are lacking. However, in recent years new actors, in the form of social media, have come to play a role in the aftermath of mass shootings. In the case of the Parkland shooting, social media played a role in crisis communication and in creating both an online and offline activist movement called the Never Again movement. Through different activist efforts, this movement is trying to achieve the implementation of sensible gun laws. By analysing the current gun debate and gun problem in the United States, and by researching the role of social media in the Never Again movement, this thesis will be able to assess the impact of social media on the Parkland shooting and its aftermath.Show less
In 2013, the elections in Cambodia ended in a surprising result with the opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), getting almost as many votes as the main party, the Cambodia's...Show moreIn 2013, the elections in Cambodia ended in a surprising result with the opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), getting almost as many votes as the main party, the Cambodia's People Party (CPP). Since 1993, no political party had been able to be an actual threat for the CPP. In this thesis, the reasons for this sudden rise in popularity of the CNRP will, therefore, be identified. It will be shown that the rise in social media and youth political participation positively influenced the rising popularity of the CNRP.Show less
This thesis deals with the role of Vkontakte in the narrative creation around the referendum of Crimea, March 2014. Through a detailed study of political and non-political VK content of the 6-week...Show moreThis thesis deals with the role of Vkontakte in the narrative creation around the referendum of Crimea, March 2014. Through a detailed study of political and non-political VK content of the 6-week period around the referendum, the thesis discusses the themes, methods of information campaigning, as well as the government's involvement in the discourse formation.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt beargumenteerd dat de nieuwsconsument door de komst van nieuwe media steeds meer bepaalt van wie hij of zij het nieuws consumeert, ofwel: steeds meer aan person shifting doet...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt beargumenteerd dat de nieuwsconsument door de komst van nieuwe media steeds meer bepaalt van wie hij of zij het nieuws consumeert, ofwel: steeds meer aan person shifting doet. Er bestaan al drie vormen van shifting, namelijk place, time, en format shifting. Deze vormen beschrijven hoe de consument steeds meer bepaalt waar, wanneer, en hoe hij of zij het nieuws consumeert. Er blijkt echter een vierde vorm te onderscheiden. De opkomst van social media heeft, door de persoon op de voorgrond te schuiven en ervoor te zorgen dat er meer belang wordt gehecht aan personal branding, het fenomeen person shifting in de hand gewerkt. De onderzoeksvraag is vervolgens: ‘Hoe doen Nederlandse, tekstuele, online nieuwsbedrijven aan person shifting?’ Middels een exploratief onderzoek worden zes manieren (hier: categorieën) onderscheiden waarop person shifting tot uiting komt in de websites van de onderzochte media: sourcing, suggesting, listing, checkmarking, loose branding en profiling. De resultaten zijn wijdverspreid. Dat is niet per se alarmerend: person shifting is immers een relatief nieuw fenomeen waarvan vele kanten onderbelicht zijn. Dit biedt mogelijkheden tot vervolgonderzoek.Show less
