Cheryll Ruth Soriano

Constructing collectivity in diversity: online political mobilization of a national LGBT political party

The internet has opened up a space for discussions of queer sexuality and the interconnectivity made possible by internet technologies enables the active exchange of queer ideologies across distant spaces that facilitate the formation of ‘queer counterpublics’. But how do cyberqueer movements form a collectivity amid the instability of individual and collective identities and the vulnerabilities and controls posed by new technology mediation? Through the case study of Ladlad, a lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) political party in the Philippines, this paper examines the role of online media in the construction of a queer movement. The article argues that the process of connectivity facilitated by online spaces creates nodes of identification, belonging, and support that symbolically form a collective site of resistance to sources of oppressive power for LGBTs.

Websites for stakeholder relations by corporations and non‐profits

Purpose – This longitudinal study aims to analyze the use of websites by a sample of 78 corporations and non‐profits five years apart. In particular, it studies organizational use of interactive and social media features and use of web sites for building relationships with six stakeholder publics.Design/methodology/approach – The authors studied the websites of 78 for‐profit and not‐for‐profit organization seeking to learn how they used this new medium as a communication tool to build and maintain relationships with six key stakeholders: the mass media, consumers, investor/donors, employees, the government, and the community in 2004 and in 2009. They also explored for differences in the way for‐profit corporations and non‐profits used their web sites for relationship building given their different missions and cultures.Findings – First, there was a marked difference in how corporations and non‐profit organizations used their websites. Second, a significant number of organizations used social media applica...

Social media and civic engagement during calamities: the case of Twitter use during typhoon Yolanda

Abstract This study explores the nature and promise of citizen engagement in Twitter during calamities, specifically in the context of typhoon Yolanda. Through topic modeling and content analysis, the article explores the “acts of civic engagement” expressed in disaster tweets and how the character of the tweets changed over a five-month period. The article adopts the actualizing citizenship model which offers an alternative understanding of citizenship as performative and which is relevant for the analysis of social media engagement by citizens. The article concludes with a reflection of the nature and typology of Twitter-mediated communication during calamities, highlighting the active engagement of celebrities in disaster tweets, and analysis of whether and how these can be construed as acts of civic engagement.

Transmedia mobilization: Agency and literacy in minority productions in the age of spreadable media

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the transmedia strategies of three ethnic minority activist organizations in the Philippines: Cordillera Peoples Alliance, Tebtebba, and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The fieldwork entailed interviews with leaders of these organizations and their media teams, scholars who study these movements, and social commentators. The analysis shows the complexities of identity construction in the age of spreadable media and the importance of transmedia literacy for activists who have to navigate these complexities to effectively advance their cause.