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Social Media and Communication

Eastern Mediterranean University Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Department of New Media and Journalism

Course Outline

This course explores the role of social media in modern communication, examining its impact on society, culture, and interpersonal relationships. Students will learn to critically analyse social media platforms, strategies, and trends, while developing effective communication skills for digital environments.

Course Completion Requirements

  1. Attendance and Participation: Students are expected to attend all scheduled lectures and actively participate in class discussions and activities. Active engagement is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the course material and for the development of critical thinking skills.
  2. Presentation: Students must deliver a presentation on a selected topic related to social media and communication. The presentation should demonstrate their ability to analyze and communicate key concepts effectively. Successful completion of the presentation is mandatory for passing the course.
  3. Assignments: Students are required to submit two assignments throughout the course. These assignments will assess their research, analytical, and writing skills in the context of social media and its impact on society, culture, and interpersonal relationships.
  4. Final Exam: The final exam will be a written assessment covering the entire course material. Students must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, theories, and practical applications discussed throughout the course.
  5. Grading: The overall grade for the course will be determined by the combined scores of the presentation, assignments, and final exam. The specific grading scale and weightage for each assessment component will be provided in the course syllabus.
  6. Academic Integrity: Students must adhere to the institution’s academic integrity policy throughout the course. Any form of plagiarism or academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and may result in severe consequences, including failing the course.
  7. Completion Deadline: All course requirements must be fulfilled by the stipulated deadline. Late submissions may result in grade deductions or even a failure to pass the course.

Examination

One presentation, two assignments and one final will be applied within the scope of the course.

  • Presentation %10
  • Assignment 1 %25
  • Assignment 2 %25
  • Final Exam (written) %40

Format of the Lesson

The course will be covered with lectures, class discussions, group activities, assignments, presentation and final exam.

Course Outcomes

By the end of the course, students should be able to:

  1. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of social media: Explain the evolution and significance of social media in modern communication and identify the key features and functionalities of popular social media platforms.
  2. Critically analyse the impact of social media on society and culture: Assess the influence of social media on cultural norms, social behaviours, and the formation of public opinion.
  3. Examine the role of social media in shaping interpersonal relationships: Analyse the effects of social media on personal relationships, communication patterns, and social support networks.
  4. Evaluate social media strategies and trends: Assess various social media marketing and communication strategies used by individuals, businesses, and organizations.
  5. Develop effective communication skills for digital environments: Demonstrate proficiency in crafting engaging and persuasive content for social media platforms.
  6. Identify ethical considerations in social media use: Recognize ethical challenges related to social media, including privacy concerns, responsible digital citizenship, and the spread of misinformation.
  7. Analyse the impact of social media on politics and activism: Assess the role of social media in political campaigns, citizen journalism, and social movements.
  8. Apply social media analytics to measure success: Utilize social media analytics tools to track performance and evaluate the effectiveness of social media campaigns.
  9. Understand the role of influencers in digital marketing: Analyse the role of influencers and content creators in social media marketing and evaluate the ethics of sponsored content.
  10. Navigate social media in times of crisis: Develop crisis communication strategies for social media platforms and handle crisis situations effectively.
  11. Examine cross-cultural communication on social media: Evaluate the challenges and opportunities in conducting international social media campaigns and engaging diverse audiences.
  12. Predict future trends in social media and communication: Identify emerging social media platforms and technologies and assess their potential impact on communication and society.

Important Notes

Read the materials before you come to class, please.

Useful Links

Weekly Courses Content

1. Week

Introduction to Social Media and Communication

  • Definition of social media and its historical development
  • Key concepts: user-generated content, virality, algorithms
  • The impact of social media on traditional media and communication channels
  • Harold Lasswell’s Communication Modal (Linear Modal of Communication)
  • Dean Barnlund’s Communicati0n Modal (Transactional Modal of Communication)
  • Plato’s Cave

2. Week

Social Media Platforms

  • Overview of popular social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok)
  • Comparison of platform features, target audiences, and communication styles
  • Ethical and privacy considerations on social media
  • Uses and Gratification Theory (Elihu Katz, Jay Blumler, and Michael Gurevitch)
  • Diffusion of Innovations (Everett Rogers)
  • Political Economy of Communication (Marshall McLuhan)

3. Week

Social Media and Society

  • The role of social media in shaping cultural norms and behaviours
  • The impact of social media on political discourse and activism
  • Social media and self-presentation: identity and personal branding
  • Information Processing Theory (Atkinson and Shiffrin Model)
  • Cultivation Theory (George Gerbner)
  • Cultural Studies (Stuart Hall)

4. Week

Social Media and Relationships

  • The influence of social media on interpersonal relationships
  • Online communities and social support networks
  • Managing conflict and dealing with cyberbullying
  • Social Exchange Theory (Claude Lévi-Strauss)
  • Face to Face Interaction (Erving Goffman)

5. Week

Social Media and Business Communication

  • Social media marketing and advertising strategies
  • Building brand presence and engagement on social media
  • Social media analytics and measuring success

6. Week

Influencers and Online Celebrities

  • The rise of influencers and content creators on social media
  • Influencer marketing and its impact on consumer behavior
  • The ethics of sponsored content and authenticity
  • Two Step Flow of Communication (Paul Lazarsfeld, Elihu Katz)
    • Opinion Leader
  • Social Impact Theory (Bibb Latane)
  • Rhetoric (Aristotle)
    • Persuasion

7. Week

Social Media and Journalism

  • Social media as a news source and its implications for journalism
  • Misinformation, fake news, and fact-checking in the digital age
  • Citizen journalism and user-generated content
  • Misinformation / Disinformation
  • Fake News
  • Clickbait
  • Citizen Journalism / Victim Journalism
  • User Generated Content (Free Labor [Digital Labor])

8. Week

Social Media and Politics

  • The role of social media in political campaigns and elections
  • Social media’s influence on public opinion and polarization
  • Government regulations and content moderation on social media
  • Regulations and Censorship
  • Democracy
    • The Arab Spring
  • Analatica – US Election
  • Political Ads
  • Participatory Culture

9. Week

Social Media and Crisis Communication

  • Social media in times of crisis and disaster
  • The importance of crisis communication plans for organizations
  • Case studies of successful and unsuccessful crisis management on social media

10. Week

Digital Citizenship and Responsible Use

  • Navigating digital citizenship and online etiquette
  • Addressing online hate speech, trolling, and cyberbullying
  • Strategies for maintaining a positive digital footprint

11. Week

Social Media and Global Communication

  • Cross-cultural communication on social media platforms
  • Social media’s role in fostering global connections and understanding
  • Challenges and opportunities in international social media campaigns
  • Intercultural Communication
    • Social Engineering
  • Global Village (Marshall McLuhan)

12. Week

Future Trends in Social Media

  • Emerging social media platforms and technologies
  • Predictions for the future of social media and its impact on communication
  • Ethical considerations in the evolving landscape of social media
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • API (Application Programming Interface)
  • BigData

13. Week

Final Project Presentations

  • Students present their final projects, applying concepts learned throughout the course to a practical context.

14. Week

Final Exam

Detailed Grades

Presentation

%10

You are going to prepare a presentation which topic is on the list.

Evaluation Criteria

  • Presentation should not be more than 10 minutes and 10 slides.
  • Slides should not include full of text and reading is not acceptable.

Assignment 1

%25

This assignment is going to be a case study. Each student should choose a case to apply at least one theory to define situation and find a way to solve/improve it.

Evaluation Criteria

Grade will be given according to application of the theory to solve the problem or improve the issue.

Assignment 2

%25

Each students will write an article about a topic is going to be given in the class.

Evaluation Criteria

Article must be at least 3000 words (abstract is not included), APA style reference, 200 words abstract, 5 keywords and title.

Websites are not acceptable as reference, especially wikipedia.

Final Exam

%40

Evaluation Criteria

The final exam will be a written assessment covering the entire course material. Students must demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the concepts, theories, and practical applications discussed throughout the course.