Pros and Cons of Social Media

Running head: Pros and Cons of Social Media 1
Question Nine
Social Media (such as Twitter, Facebook, blogging, Wiki’s etc.) and Web 2.0 have transformed
the world of communication. There is also much debate as to the impact from their contribution.
Identify three areas of communication studies (e.g. journalism, crisis communication, etc.) where
social media have been or are currently used. In each area, discuss case examples (at least two)
that demonstrate the benefits and pitfalls from their use with respect to effective communication.
Be specific and support all claims with appropriate research from studies, journal articles, and
scholarly texts. In other words, explain your reasons and support your reasons with appropriate
references.
Denise Aguilar
CCOM: 9999_91
October 10, 2011

Pros and Cons of Social Media 2
Abstract
Early communications over the Internet has consisted of emails and instant messaging. Ever
since the inception of social media, how people communicate has never been the same. Even
today, how Millennials communicate is still evolving. Popular sites such as Facebook, Twitter,
Foursquare, and LinkedIn are now the main ways to send messages throughout all aspects of
communications. There will be a point where those who were opposed to social media will have
no choice to embrace it if they want to communicate with the public. Adapting to social media
does have its benefits. Throughout the studies of Advertising, Public relations, and Crisis
Communication, social media is a great tool if used appropriately. In addition, social media has
the potential power to change the political and social landscapes of the world.

Pros and Cons of Social Media
To Be Social or Not To Be Social, That is the Question
Since the 1990’s, social media has changed the nature on how people communicate over
the Internet. The explosion and popularity of social media sites (due to teens) were one of the
quickest evolving developments in technology. In The Relationship between Traditional Mass
Media and ‘‘Social Media’’: Reality Television as a Model for Social Network Site Behavior by
Michael A. Stefanone, Derek Lackaff, and Devan Rosen (2010), they found that Millennials are
the most engaged in social media. “Recent studies indicate that younger people are increasingly
engaged with social technologies. Over half of all Internet-using teens are ‘‘content creators’’
who create websites or blogs, share original media such as photos and videos, or remix content
into new creations” (Stefanone et al., 2010, p.511). Myspace and instant messaging (IM) were a
main player at the time, but now, those mediums are pre-historic compared to what newer social
media sites can do. Besides the average consumer using social media, organizations are also
using social media to engage their audience and attract new ones.
Organizations and businesses should adapt to new technologies to stay competitive. To do
so, they need to be proficient in social media language. For example, social media has more of a
relaxed environment, just like how Millennials prefer to communicate. Organizations cannot
enter that world with extreme formality to reach consumers in social media. These sites are used
to connect people on a personal level. For the organizations resisting informality and are in turn
resisting social media will not succeed with younger generations. They will become the next
generation to contribute to the economy. In Experiencing social media across generations by
Christian Taske and Frances Forde Plude (2011), they mentioned that the rest of the world would

eventually have to join social media sites, such as Facebook, to communicate with their
constituents online (p.39). Resisting social media will not benefit any organization.
Incorporating social media into the communication plans for organizations makes perfect
sense since it is free of charge to use social media. In addition, consumers are online on social
sites at the highest rates comparably to previous years. In The power of social media: legal
issues and best practices for utilities engaging in social media by Carolyn Elefant (2011), she
expressed, “Social media is cheap and multi-dimensional — it supports videos, slide
presentations, and articles — so (companies) can get the most bang for the buck and devise a
variety of approaches best tailored to different types of customers” (p.10). Due to social media
being collaborative and interactive, organizations can have a two-way interaction with their
consumers while being able to target their appropriate demographic.
Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, along with blogs have enabled ordinary
people to use the web as a platform for their thoughts. The lure of being able to be heard by
millions is what attracts people to have blogs and profiles. Stefanone et al. (2010) found, “Blogs
and other easily accessible communication platforms have likewise enabled a growing number of
Internet users to publish their thoughts, photos, and videos on the Web” (p.509). However, the
blogs that are most successful are often the ones that are able to prove their credibility. For
instance, blogs that are more like diaries usually do not receive as much traffic compared to
those who cover something the public wants to know more about, like mommy bloggers writing
about everything parenthood or food bloggers writing about new recipes and “hot” restaurants in
town. In New Media for Crisis communication: Opportunities for Technical Translation,
Dialogue, and Stakeholder Responses by Keri K. Stephens and Patty Malone (2010) researched,

“Credibility enhancement desires might explain why stakeholders who share information also
tend to use weblinks. By linking a reader to additional information, it demonstrates that there is
support for the statement beyond one person’s view” (as cited in Coombs & Holladay, 2010,
p.392). By incorporating external research, the blogger is not only displaying external knowledge
but also contributing to the social communities by linking to someone else’s work. Therefore, if
organizations want to involve themselves in the platforms, they need to develop the skills to
understand and be proficient in social media so they may communicate effectively with their
constituents. For example, if an organization has multiple profiles on different social media sites
(Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare), there needs to be consistency in their messages to be successful
in those mediums and to display that they are adding to the social community by linking to other
sites and information.
For consumers and organizations, there are social media sites that are more desirable than
others are. For example, sites like MySpace (now MY____) owned by musician/actor Justin
Timberlake and Specific Media, BlackPlanet, live journal, Xanga, KiwiBox, and many others
have not been able to bring in the numbers and popularity compared to Facebook (2004) and
then later Twitter (2006). Even though MySpace is still popular amongst the music and
entertainment scene, Facebook is combating that by currently making a deal with Pandora
(streaming music site using a genome system) to offer music to their customers. In addition,
almost every music artist has an active profile on Facebook; therefore, consumers are still going
to Facebook for their music compared to Myspace. In Perceptions of Corporations on
Facebook: An Analysis of Facebook Social Norms by Dr. Mihaela Vorvoreanu (2009) she
concluded, “There are certain social media such as Twitter [and Facebook] that are perceived as

the desirable, cutting-edge place to be. The positive perceptions associated with the medium
often spill over onto its users. Focus group participants reasoned that many corporations join
Facebook in an attempt to be “cool” and “cutting-edge,” but they did not think this was a
successful strategy and were turned off by corporations “trying too hard to be cool” (p.78). Later
in the paper, Walmart, one of the companies that tried to be “hip” and “cool” is a case study on
how the did not succeed in social media. They are an example of the pitfalls of using social
media and not adapting to the language of norms the social communities.
Throughout the paper, Facebook and Twitter will be the main social media tools
discussed because they are the prominent influencers that are widely used within most
organizations and consumers. These social media are widely used for campaigns, such as
presidential races or to push a cause, product launches, to promote sales for retail stores,
coupons, free items, events, and of course breaking news. The communication fields that will be
focused on are Advertising, Public relations and Crisis communication. Each of these fields
heavily employs the use of social media. The question of whether they use it appropriately and
sufficiently are debatable. To use social media, one has to be an active member on it to attract
followers, friends, or likes. Using it sparingly will not produce the desired results that will result
into a healthier bottom line. In addition, to judge case examples if they used social media in
terms of a pro or a con is also up for debate. Sometimes the perception of a successful or not
successful campaign depends on which side one is viewing it from.
Advertising
The first communication study that will be analyzed is advertising, in terms of usage and
effectiveness. Advertising in social media can be a great tool to promote anything that is

occurring within a company. Specifically, if the target demographic is tech savvy users under the
age of 30, most companies will be able to reach them effectively. For example, Facebook “…
presents direct marketing opportunities for engaging the college-age market. Providing deals and
discounts while creating a sense of exclusivity for Facebook users is a tactic that all students
were enthusiastic about” (Vorvoreanu, 2009, p.80). Proving that when marketing or advertising
effectively, “likes” or “followers” is higher when the targeted demographic are presented with
exactly with what they like. When companies provide their consumers with something they are
interested in, they are also establishing strong relationships with them that will come in handy for
the future, for example, branding and customer loyalty.
As mentioned before, companies need to be mindful of how they communicate in social
media. They need to conform to the culture within the social communities. Agreeingly,
Vorvoreanu (2009) mentioned, “Companies wishing to engage in public relations and marketing
efforts on Facebook have to be mindful of Facebook culture, and their communication with the
public must conform to Facebook social norms” (p.67). Therefore, organizations need to be
socialized and assimilated to social media culture. Fortunately, newer media, such as Facebook
and Twitter, offer organizations the ability to have an engaging dialogue with their constituents.
Currently, the 2011 fall television series employed heavy use of social media to promote
new and succeeding television shows. For example, Glee, The X factor, Terra Nova, Ringer,
Gossip Girl and The New Girl had successful social media campaigns that did translate into high
ratings and substantial followers on Facebook and Twitter. Most of these shows did preview
online and “On Demand” before they aired live on television. Critics were weary of the ratings
being lower when the shows aired live because consumers were able to view the shows earlier,

but if anything, word-of-mouth helped push ratings even further than expected. In Marketing in
a Hyper-Social World: The Tribalization of Business Study and Characteristics of Successful
Online Communities by Edward Moran and Francois Gossieaux (2010) found,
Research indicates that word of mouth spread by members of an online community, for
instance, can create more valuable customers than those attracted through conventional
advertising. Communities can also help increase demand for products, help marketers to
identify key influencers, and provide marketers with insights about customer wants and
needs (p.232).
Advertisers are finding that online communities, such as social media, can spread positive
messages about products, raise awareness, and naturally recruit new “followers”, which are all
great advantages for an organization.
The New Girl
The perfect case example would be Fox Corporation’s new fall 2011 series, The New
Girl, starring singer/actress/ songwriter Zooey Deschanel. The show was heavy in advertising
throughout the entire summer of 2011. Everywhere one looked, there were advertisements in
Facebook Fan pages, Twitter Fan pages, Ms. Deschanel’s personal Facebook and Twitter pages,
on massive digital billboards all over New York City, New York, On Demand, regular
commercials, and everything print (Magazines, Newspapers). In addition, word-of-mouth has
been circulating for months on every imaginable blog possible. For example, Ms. Deschanel
personal blog, her comedy blog/website (www.Hellogiggles.com), entertainment, music,

comedy, news, and fashion blogs as well, has covered the new series throughout the entire
summer. All the hype translated on the premier night as one of the highest ratings for a new
show. Critics thought that by the second episode the ratings subside or reduce, but the show still
kept its high ratings and the likes and followers have increased. According to Blue Fin Labs, The
New Girl ranked number one for two weeks in a row for a new series in social television (Guigli,
2011). Blue Fin Labs is a technology and data base service for marketers and television content
producers. They compare the data between people’s comments on social media and the content
on television. In addition, The New Girl became the first show out of all the new fall series to
receive a full season pick up. Therefore, instead of filming for example, 12 episodes, they will be
able to film for 24 episodes. The push on social media definitely has a correlation with the buzz
and ratings for the show (Lawler, 2011). The New Girl is a great example of how social media
can in fact translate to high viewership on television.
Walmart
On the other hand, social media when not employed efficiently can tarnish an organization
further. Organizations that want to enter the communities of social media need to be mindful of
the unspoken rules on how to communicate in that media. For example, the speech should be
relaxed not business formal and there must be a form of two-way communications.
Organizations that do not allow their constituents to communicate back their opinions, praise, or
frustration will not last long in social media. The entire point of using social media, such as
Facebook and Twitter is to have an audience engagement. Communications from an organization
should not be top-down but on an equal playing field with the freedom to share thoughts and
ideas. Similarly, Vorvoreanu (2009) agreed, “The only accepted communication tone on

Facebook is the personal one, and organizations that are able to engage in personal
communication, such as small business owners, are embraced on Facebook” (p.79). On a side
note, the only known social media platform that has an accepted professional tone is LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals. It is not as casual as Facebook and one has
to know the person to “connect” with them, for example, one had to work with another, or at
least obtain their email to connect with the other.
Walmart’s social profile was not as interactive compared to others. They were trying to
advertise on Facebook and push their own social media site called “The Hub”. This case example
is about what not to do when trying to engage with constituents on social media. Walmart, one of
the large discount department chain stores, decided to start their own social media site called
Tthe Hub”. The purpose of it was to attract teens to talk about the Walmart brand and make
shopping “wish-lists” to share with other users. Therefore, using the influencers on the site to
persuade others to buy Walmart items and think of them as “hip” and “cool”. The problem with
“the hub” is that it was the only social media at the time (2006) asking for parental permission.
The user information of the teen was sent to the parents for them to approve the page. That could
possibly be the sole reason the site did not last. In addition, it also could have been too many
blatant advertisements, and teens were not responding well to that. According to the Bivings
Report, an Internet communications firm in Washington D.C., found that Walmart created
profiles of 90210 (the show) type of teen models to lure new users to create profiles and follow
what they did (Crump, 2008). These profiles were blatantly false and could have aided to the
downfall of the site. Bivings Report reported, “A successful social network needs to provide
freedom for its users and as few in-your-face advertisements as possible.” No other social media

site at the time was asking for parental permission. What they should have done to prevent
underage users on the site, like alcohol beverage websites, they should have asked to enter their
birth year. Obviously, teens could lie about their age but that is out of Walmart’s hands.
Walmart tried their hand at social media a second time on Facebook in 2007, but that too
did not perform well. The point of Facebook is the interaction between consumers and
organizations. “Wal-Mart limited user content. This essentially demeaned the whole point of
creating a Facebook page, and frustrated follows, as it completely lacked interactivity and
became just another place for Wal-Mart to advertise” (SSM, 2011). Walmart knew if they
allowed their users to post comments on the wall, not all comments would be positive. Therefore,
they did not allow posting of comments from users on the wall (Beirut, 2009). Clearly, that did
not go well with Walmart constituents. They should have left the wall posts open for consumers
and created a discussion board for two-way communication. That way, Walmart would be
engaging its consumers for discussion, whether it is positive or negative. In the end, Walmart
should not try to be a Target (another large discount department chain store) with their social
media and stick to engaging consumers the same way they are engaged in their stores.
Public Relations
The second communication study that will be analyzed is Public relations in terms of usage
and effectiveness. The use of social media in public relations has it benefits and pitfalls. Public
relation professionals just like advertising, need to target the right audience to send an effective
message. For example, in politics, public relations are crucial because they are able to construct
the message and strategy to win over public opinion. Analyzing the 2008 and currently, the 2012
Obama presidential race, it is a good case study to evaluate in terms of inclusion of social media

and public relations. Especially, since the combination of the two are a new field. Vorvoreanu
(2009) encountered the same problem, she stated, “Previous research about online public
relations has mostly focused on websites, and there are few, if any, research-based insights about
public relations on social networks” (p.70). However, in future studies, it is almost inevitable to
not study public relations and social media because public relation professionals employ the use
of social media heavily to send messages. Also, relationship building is highly important. To
have contacts when public relations professionals need to pitch a story to the media and
establishing relationships with the public will increase the chances of positive feedback from the
constituents. T.D. Thomilson (2000) in An interpersonal primer with implications for public
relations, he found, “Relationship management drew initially upon interpersonal communication
to identify and define the nature and key attributes of relationships between organizations and
their publics” (as cited in Vorvoreanu, 2009, p.69).
On the other hand, a pitfall of too much social engagement in platforms such as twitter, can
be the downfall of a politician. The case study of former Congressman Anthony Weiner that will
be analyzed, proves that not everything should be online and using social media ineffectively can
come back to haunt you, especially when one is a public personality.
President Obama
President Obama is one of the first American presidential campaigns that used social
media heavily. The young voters at the time were very responsive to campaign because of his
message “Yes We Can”, “Hope”, and the fact that he was employing the use of social media to
connect with his constituents. Clearly, using social media to campaign worked because that year
had the largest young voters turnout. However, social media alone was not the sole reason the

presidential campaign was a success; it was also the message. Social media are tools to push a
message and drive discussion. A highly relevant, cost effective tool can be the deciding factor
between winning and losing when used effectively. In addition, the content from the campaign
that was picked up in traditional media was only pushed into social media to stay longer in the
public’s eyes. In other words, social media is distributor of messages. In Social Media and the
2008 U.S. Presidential Election by Dr. Emily Metzgar, Ph.D. and Albert Maruggi (2009), they
researched, “social media was useful not just for its facility in distributing a campaign message,
but also for its utility in offering a mechanism for ongoing engagement on the part of those
moved by the message” (p.160).Therefore, engaging constituents into conversation about a
message will keep the buzz alive and guarantee better penetration in the media. As a result,
Obama did win the presidency in 2008 and his social media followers were significantly higher
compared to Senator John McCain. The Obama campaign utilized Twitter, Facebook, and
LinkedIn to connect to millions of American voters. By using various of social media venues,
Obama was able to send a consistent message to all of his different constituents. In Obama
campaign increasingly turns to technology by Carla Marinucci (2011) she talked about how
public relations for the 2012 Obama campaign used multiple venues to reach the constituents
more effectively like the 2008 presidential election (Marinucci, 2011). At its core, public
relations should build relationships with audiences and that is exactly what the Obama campaign
did to win over voters through social media.
Anthony Weiner
On the other hand, when social media contains information not related to a campaign but
on personal life, social media can also aggravate a situation. High profile people receive more

scrutiny by the public over what they communicate. People in the limelight need to be careful on
what they say publicly, whether it is on television or online. The publicists of high profile
individuals need to conduct media training, so that they do not say or do anything that will
tarnish their image. However, publicists cannot monitor every single move a client makes,
therefore, if the client has their own personal social media profiles, the content on those sites are
left to the judgment of the client. In the case example of former Congressman Anthony Weiner
and his incessant use of social media, such as twitter, and how one tweet can end a promising
career.
Weiner was known throughout the political scene as cheeky, humorous, and at times
juvenile. Dr. Emily Metzgar, Ph.D. and Albert Maruggi (2009) mentioned, “A person with a very
small piece of information, one that can be communicated in 140 characters (Twitter’s message
limit), can potentially capture a nation” (p.151). Weiner would regularly send inappropriate
messages and photos to women online and then deny them. Unfortunately, one inappropriate
tweet picture of himself in underwear to a Seattle woman finally caught up to him.
The con with social media is that anyone can post their thoughts with limited fear and
retribution. The story began to unfold when a supposedly accidental picture of a man, who
appeared to be Weiner, had taken a picture of him half naked and sent it to Seattle woman
(Zraick & Miga, 2011). Weiner is an active tweeter and user of social media, however, as a
politician, he needs to be careful about what he says online. The lines between his personal life
and work life had been blurred. When that occurs, one tends to forget that they are in the public
eye. For example, in reality television shows, actors are well aware of the cameras following
them 24/7 when they first begin in the business. As time goes by, the actors or reality stars begin

to behave in a more relaxed way indicating that they have forgotten the camera crew are still
following and that their defenses are down.
As a politician, they have more at stake based on their public appearance. They need to
be aware and conscious of their actions. In The Use of Social Media Sites Data by Business
Organizations in Their Relationship with Employees by Marie-Andrée Weiss (2011), she
researched, “this blurring between professional and private life also has the consequence that
employees, having less time off, manage their private lives during working hours, often by using
company-issued devices or computers” (p.19). Because Weiner is a politician, his work hours are
longer and more stressful compared to an average person. Even though the outcome of what
Weiner did was unfortunate for his professional and personal life, what he did online was exactly
what any person or organization should do to attract new followers. Weiner takes the postings
from his followers seriously, for instance, he would take their advice and see how it would fit in
the states plans (Zraick & Miga, 2011). He is engaged with them and is constantly active on
social media, giving his readers new content on a daily basis. In My job sucks: examining
counterinstitutional websites and locations for organizational member voice, dissent, and
resistance, the authors found that on social media sites, people are allowed to publicly express
their opinions without fear of consequences (Gosset & Kilker, 2006, as cited in Coombs &
Holladay, 2010, p. 383). His social media posts ranged from any frustrations he had in the day to
innovative ideas on congressional matters and jokes. His profiles are interactive and when the
scandal broke out about the Seattle woman, Weiner reached over 41,000 followers on twitter.
In the end, publicists or public relation professionals that are trying to sustain or improve
the image of their client needs to realize that by simply creating an online profile for their client

does not mean that followers will come. The substantial content of a message still needs to be
there and then the social media tools can be applied to attract new constituents. Whether social
media is a pro or con solely depends on the nature of content. When the information on social
media is negative or sexual, that would not be taken lightly by the public. However, when the
message is of hope and change, the public would respond positively to that. Especially when
incorporating social media to spread the message, then the youth would also respond well to that.
For the future, it would be almost impossible for any political candidate to engage with
constituents without social media. As the younger generations begin to be decision makers in the
world, they want to be able to catch up with the news and politics with a medium that is used
wildly throughout the generation. Another aspect of public relations that should receive
considerable attention that Vorvoreanu (2009) raised is that “If the emergence of different social
norms around different social media is indeed a trend, the practice of public relations online will
have to include ethnographic approaches and extremely high cultural sensitivity, even when
dealing with the same public” (p.69). Therefore, it will be interesting to see if new innovations in
social media for presidential races will come to fruition.
Crisis Communication
Lastly, The third and final communication study that will be analyzed is Crisis
communication, in terms of, usage and effectiveness. Crisis communication is a textbook
platform to utilize social media because messages could be sent in a quick and short manner.
Especially during times of emergency, those with access to social media can get rapid updates on
the latest coverage. Elefant (2011) mentioned, “Several utilities are already employing social
media for a variety of purposes ranging from crisis communication to customer education to

brand awareness” (p.5). Therefore, as time progresses, these organizations will be proficient in
social media and have a proven strategy to send messages. However, scholars had agreed that
organizations as a whole are still doing a poor job in taking full advantage of what social media
can offer. However, there are some case examples of how organizations do take full advantage of
what social media has to offer. In turn, is it accepted for an organization to abuse its privileges
amongst social media?
Over the past year, the eastern seaboard of the United States survived Hurricane Irene
and the world was able to see the uprising of many Middle Eastern countries through social
media. The extent of social media coverage is debatable that the information either helped or
frightened constituents. When is it enough to cover a story wall-to-wall for weeks? The news
reports on television were copied from social media, therefore, the same message was delivered
to the same constituents multiple times a day. In the end, crisis communication within the realms
of social media is to inform, warn, and solve crises for their constituents.
Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene is a great example of the emerging role of social media towards the
public. On August 20th
when the storm was officially announced as a hurricane, the media along
with social media had a field day reporting the events of the storm. Normally, the public would
tune in to television to receive the latest updates on a natural disaster; however, this time around
Twitter was the main source of curated messages. People all over the eastern seaboard, used
social media to mention that they were safe and the conditions their town was left in. In addition,
not just regular people were being updated on the hurricane; television news corporations also
took notice on how more people are using social media to retrieve their news. Therefore, they

were distributing their messages from the television and web content onto their social media.
Journalistic work and the quality of content on social media are suddenly seamlessly becoming
one medium. What one may read in the New York Times would find the same information on
social media in a matter of seconds. Who creates the content is the question at hand. Michael A.
Stefanone et al. (2010) similarly found, “the development of social media platforms enables non-
media professionals, or ‘normal people’ to participate in a newly accessible media environment,
not just as an audience member, but also as multimedia producers” (p.510). As a result, today’s
audiences are not simply receivers of messages but they also create and retweet messages.
The East Coast of the United States, especially north of Delaware, is a prime area for
avoiding such natural disasters in extreme form, like hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts,
and, tornados. However, that area is hit hard by blizzards. Due to the nature and rarity of the
hurricane, news and social media alike had a field day covering the storm. The wall-to-wall
coverage of hurricane Irene induced the public into panic. Relating to Crisis communication,
covering an event that has the potential to damage many areas should be careful on how the
message is covered. The media has the power to direct the public thoughts. As long a story is
consistently covered within the media, the public will talk about. Metzgar and Maruggi (2009)
researched, “…the media send signals to the public concerning what it ought to be thinking
about, but that there is also an agenda-setting dynamic within the media itself, driving coverage
in one direction or another” (p.148). Anywhere a person looked, people on social media and the
news were dictating the cautions of Hurricane Irene and the dangers of being outside in that
weather.
In terms of crisis communication, the communicators did their job of warning and

relaying solutions for people who may be hit hard by the hurricane, however, social media may
have taken the event too far by scaring people of the dangers of the hurricane. For example,
rumors were a problem for the Northern East Coast constituents; they would raid stores and
purchase months worth of supplies. In The good and bad of Irene’s social media hurricane by
Stacey Higginbotham (2011) stated, “Just as social media can amplify the good in humanity, it
can also exacerbate the bad.” Beyond that, people also tend to become overwhelmed by
information and confused. Crisis communicators job is to do their best to set those rumors aside.
At the same time, they do still need to stress the damages the hurricane can cause. By covering
an event to the extent of Hurricane Irene, it will come to a point that the public will not take the
news seriously anymore. For example, when Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that
Manhattan needed to be evacuated, reporters were able to find people on the streets ignoring the
warnings from social media, news, and government officials. The role of social of media on
Hurricane Irene is debatable if it were positive or negative. On one hand, social media did save
lives by warning those about the severity of the storm and on the other hand, the wall-to wall-to-
wall coverage almost made a mockery of the Hurricane, therefore, people were not taking the
warnings that seriously. In the end, the use of social media during a crisis is debatable if it is a
benefit or a detriment.
Libya
Another area that was heavily influenced by the use of social media was the Middle East.
It may not be the sole reason, but social media definitely helped expedite the revolt and send a
message of freedom amongst other countries. Since the beginning of 2011, many Middle Eastern
countries began to up rise one by one and over turn their leaders. In the eyes of the leaders,

having their constituents rise up against them is a crisis because they are losing control of the
public. The constituents of each Middle Eastern country were mobilized by the traditional way of
rallying supporters, however, what made the up rising so unique was that more middle-class
educated youth were utilizing social media to rally their cause. Elefant (2011) mentioned that
using social media effectively to organize protests and to mobilize support of their cause is a
substantial platform to use (p.6). In terms of creating an event for people to mobilize for a cause,
the administrator of the social media page can know what are the expected amounts of people
who will show up to the rally and send out the instructions for the protesters at once, therefore,
having a consistent message. Having an inconsistent message is detrimental during times of
crisis.
The protests in Libya relied on social media, such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube in
the early stages to accelerate the social protest. The youth in Libya were perceptive by using
some of the technology that is available to them and difficult for the government to regulate. For
example, in Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube’s role in Middle East uprisings by Thomas Sander
(2011) found, “the government unsuccessfully attempted to squelch new organizing technologies
by largely shutting down the Internet and cell phones.” However, the young Internet savvy
protesters still found ways to document and post online the events that were occurring in their
country.
Social Media is a very powerful tool. That is the reason why many countries in that
region now monitor Internet use and ban certain websites from their public. In Lessons in the
Libyan endgame by Blake Hounshell (2011), she reported that president Hosni Mubarak was
afraid of social media empowering his opponents and exposing his weakness to the world, in

turn, toppling his regime and accelerating Tunisia’s revolution. Social media was the fire behind
the protests. Constituents could openly discuss their emotions and accounts of the revolution
within an online community. The public in Libya was the content creators for the uprising.
Outside journalists were not as easily able to document the events compared to the young
citizens that were mobilizing it. Dr. Emily Metzgar, Ph.D. and Albert Maruggi (2009) noted how
social media, such as Facebook, became the source of information. “As recent incidents
highlighting Twitter’s role in breaking news scenarios have indicated, the connection between
social media and traditional journalists is more than just hypothetical, appearing in surveys of
journalists. The distinction between the two is fast disappearing, morphing instead into a single
information ecosystem” (Metzgar & Maruggi, 2009, p.148). Therefore the job between the
journalists and the public was becoming one. Depending on which viewpoint one takes on the
uprising, for crisis communication, managing the public was not effective because the leader did
not have a sincere, caring apology about how the country has been ruled. As a result, the
constituents took matters into their own hands and overturned their government to show their
disapproval. Just like in an organization, when the CEO cannot manage the reputation of the
company, the CEO will have to be relieved of its duties. The constituents needed to be happy and
feel as if they are included in the society, if not, the majority opinion will take precedent.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social media within all forms of communications has its benefits and
rewards. Information that is available through the news is not solely commanded by corporate
gatekeepers but by the public that has something to say. Authors such as Dr. Emily Metzgar,
Ph.D. and Albert Maruggi (2009) argued that the role of social media guides mass media into

directions that they may have never chosen if it were not for social media users having access to
technology to help circulate their opinions (p.147). Being an active user of social media means
that one has the power to curate messages for many more to see. Passive users are now
empowered to play a larger role as an active user in social media. In the end, the study of social
media and communication is relatively new and more research needs to be conducted to find the
effects of each communication study in relation to social media. As younger generations become
the “brain power” of the nation, the integration of social media will be seamless as it is already
for the personal lives of the youth. Whether the use of social media is negative or positive is no
longer the question because the use of it will be inevitable to avoid, especially in
communications.

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