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The new opinion leader? Personal influence and political networks in a hybrid media environment.

This research explores the strategies and influence of digitally-enabled opinion leaders in a hybrid media environment. It examines the role of personal influence and social networks in shaping attitudes, opinions, and behaviors. The study involves interviews, social network analysis, and media content analysis to identify key factors in exerting influence across different media settings.

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The new opinion leader? Personal influence and political networks in a hybrid media environment.

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  1. The new opinion leader?Personal influence and political networks in a hybrid media environment. July 23, 2013 Elizabeth Dubois DPhil (PhD) Information, Communication, and the Social Sciences, Candidate University of Oxford, Oxford Internet Institute www.elizabethdubois.ca | Twitter: @lizdubois

  2. The New Politician • Lead government, policy decisions • Appeal to voters via mass media, campaigns, social media, personal media • Announcements via Twitter

  3. The New Journalist • Constant communication, real-time reporting • Many types of “journalist”

  4. The New Activist • Intensity of engagement • Flexibility • New tactics in their repertoire

  5. The New Opinion Leader? • Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955) • Mass communication and group dynamics • Counter “direct media effects” • “Opinion leader” • Higher media consumption • Social pressure/support • Otherwise average

  6. Media Studies Perspective Mass media environment Hybrid media environment

  7. Current Research • DPhil (PhD) candidate • Strategies of digitally enabled opinion leadership • American Behavioural Scientist and Social Media and Society conference • Identifying influentials on Twitter

  8. Research Questions • How do digitally enabled opinion leaders exert influence? • Access to social media (Twitter) • Do individuals influence in the same way across media settings? (e.g. online vs. offline, blogs vs. Facebook) • Personal influence, personal social network • Change attitudes, opinions, or behaviours

  9. Hypothesis:

  10. Methods • 20 mini individual-centred case studies • “360 view” • Process tracing • Sequential mixed-methods • Interviews (individual and followers) • Social network analysis (SNA) • Media content analysis (global and personal)

  11. Sampling • #CDNpoli (Twitter hashtag community) • ABS and SMSoc papers validate selection • Randomize list of all opinion leaders, select first 20

  12. Next Steps • Complete survey, compare to other metrics • Pilot case study approach with digital and non-digital prompts • Consider technical aspects/areas for advancement

  13. Thank you

  14. Theory: Beyond the Two-Step Flow

  15. Terms Influence Personal influence

  16. Methods • Identify interviewees and pre-screen asking for a list of online tools they use and media sources. • Collect and preform initial analysis of social network data and content from each of these sources. • Interview 1 (offline social network analysis, discuss online networks, identify followers). • Interviews with followers. • Interview 2 (reflect on new information from followers and instances of political communication since Interview 1).

  17. Challenges • Knowledge: identifying topic expertise from social media content • News trends/salient issues: tracking themes and providing visual for use during interviews • Social network graph: visualization for use during interviews (Netlytic)

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