Seungahn Nah

Modeling the adoption and use of social media by nonprofit organizations

This study examines what drives organizational adoption and use of social media through a model built around four key factors – strategy, capacity, governance and environment. Using Twitter, Facebook, and other data on 100 large US nonprofit organizations, the model is employed to examine the determinants of three key facets of social media utilization: (1) adoption, (2) frequency of use and (3) dialogue. We find that organizational strategies, capacities, governance features and external pressures all play a part in these social media adoption and utilization outcomes. Through its integrated, multi-disciplinary theoretical perspective, this study thus helps foster understanding of which types of organizations are able and willing to adopt and juggle multiple social media accounts, to use those accounts to communicate more frequently with their external publics, and to build relationships with those publics through the sending of dialogic messages.

The Internet and Anti‐War Activism: A Case Study of Information, Expression, and Action

This case study examines how traditional and Internet news use, as well as face-to-face and online political discussion, contributed to political participation during the period leading up to the Iraq War. A Web-based survey of political dissenters (N = 307) conducted at the start of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq provides the data used to examine the relationships among informational media use, online and face-to-face political discussion, and political participation among the respondents, who were recruited through blogs, discussion boards, and listservs opposing the Iraq war. Analyses reveal that among these respondents, Internet news use contributed to both face-to-face and online discussion about the situation in Iraq. Online and face-to-face political discussion mediated certain news media effects on anti-war political participation. The study stresses the complementary role of Web news use and online political discussion relative to traditional modes of political communication in spurring political participation.

When citizens meet both professional and citizen journalists: Social trust, media credibility, and perceived journalistic roles among online community news readers

Through a web-based survey (N = 238), this study examines how online community news readers perceive the roles of both professional and citizen journalists, and predicts the extent to which social capital, such as social trust and media credibility, contributes to their perceived journalistic roles. Analyses show that while media credibility was positively related to the role conceptions of professional journalists only, social trust was positively associated with the role conceptions of both professional and citizen journalists. Implications are discussed for the relationship between social trust, media credibility, and perceived journalistic roles.

Modeling the Adoption and Use of Citizen Journalism by Online Newspapers

This study examines the extent to which professional journalism adopts and uses citizen journalism, such as user-generated content (UGC) and user-submitted stories (USS), at the individual, organizational, and community levels. In doing so, the study adopts a web-based survey of top U.S. news editors (n = 142) coupled with U.S. Census Data. The study reveals that experience as online journalists and online staff size play roles in the adoption and use of UGC. The study also finds that community structural pluralism is related to the adoption and use of news stories written together by professional and citizen journalists.

Structural Pluralism in Journalism and Media Studies: A Concept Explication and Theory Construction

This article critically reviews scholarship on structural pluralism (Tichenor, Donohue, & Olien, 1973, 1980) in journalism and media studies. Relying partly on a concept explication and theory construction process (McLeod & Pan, 2004), the article explicates structural pluralism as a multifaceted concept with multiple dimensions and indicators. While reviewing relationships or hypotheses between structural pluralism and various outcomes, the article then discusses and proposes issues and agendas for future studies.

Virtually Networked Housing Movement: Hyperlink Network Structure of Housing Social Movement Organizations

Using such theories as resource mobilization and social capital, this article examines how housing social movement organizations (SMOs) in the USA are connected through hyperlink networks. In doing so, this article employed hyperlink network analysis (HNA) through data collected from 26 national housing SMOs. Results indicate that the more bridging ties an organization has, the more central they are to the network. Results also show that the more incoming hyperlinks that a particular organization has, the more central they are to the network. These results suggest that the utilization of bridging social capital by a housing SMO has the potential to increase the ability to mobilize resources by that organization. Furthermore, increasing the number of bridging hyperlinks available on a website can improve the web presence of the SMO furthering the goals of the overall movement.

Communication, Reasoning, and Planned Behaviors: Unveiling the Effect of Interactive Communication in an Anti-Smoking Social Media Campaign

Abstract This study examines direct and indirect effects of interactive communication in an antismoking social media campaign. To that end, we pose a multitheoretical framework that integrates communication mediation models and the Theory of Planned Behavior. To test the theorized model, we conducted an experiment using a two-group pretest–posttest design. Participants (N = 201) were randomly assigned into two experimental conditions: “campaign message reception only” as a control group and “message reception and social interaction” as a treatment group, in which the participants contributed to the antismoking campaign by posting their own campaign ideas and information they found through mediated and interpersonal communication. The findings show that interactive communication catalyzes the participants’ information searching behaviors through diverse communication channels. In turn, increased media use plays a crucial role in changing their attitudes and perceived social norms about smoking behaviors, and eventually reducing smoking intention. This study affirms that the theory of planned behavior is effective in predicting behavioral intention and demonstrates the usefulness of a multitheoretical approach in interactive campaign research on social media.

A study of US online community journalists and their organizational characteristics and story generation routines

Scientific knowledge in the area of journalism has been predominantly a reflection of research on journalists from elite publications rather than journalists from smaller publications. This research seeks to create a foundation for future research through a web survey of online community journalists in the USA. This study measured the extent to which their perceptions and publications reflect organizational traits such as a reliance on routine sources, income derived from publication and employment of news staff. This descriptive research also found that most online community journalists had a degree, but not a degree in journalism and communication. Suggestions are put forth to further theory and research on community journalists.

Framing Effects of News Coverage of the Embryonic Stem Cell Controversy: Issue Involvement as an Effects Moderator

This study examines reactions to ethical and strategic framing in the news coverage of the embryonic stem cell research controversy, depending on the level of issue involvement. In order to test hypotheses regarding the effects of strategic vs. ethical frames and the moderating role played by issue involvement, an online experiment was conducted. Results indicated that these two frames interacted with issue involvement and generated different reactions among participants.

Negotiating Journalistic Professionalism

South Koreas OhmyNews reports unique consequences of citizen reporting and participation. While many citizen news operations have come and gone, OhmyNews has been remarkably successful and has become one of the most powerful news sites in its country. This case study explores the concept of journalistic professionalism among OhmyNews citizen journalists and assesses whether perceptions of their journalistic work align with Singers dimensions of professionalism (i.e., cognitive, normative and evaluative dimensions). We then compare these perceptions to those of professional journalists within the organization and integrate them into journalistic role conceptions. Findings show that both groups work through collaboration, checks and balances, and a negotiation of autonomy. Both benefit from the partnership and share similarities, rather than differences, in their effort to remain sustainable in contemporary media culture.