Narratives of Protest - Influencing Opinion

While I was aware that social media was a large part of Obama's presidential campaign, and perhaps a large part of his success, I hadn't really been exposed to many of the tactics that were employed in this medium.

Kreiss's article provides an in-depth understanding of the potential that new media now holds in influencing pubic opinion.



The re-mix of the iconic 1984 Apple ad titled "Vote Different' was one of the most noteworthy pieces of composed narrative linked to this campaign. 

On this you tube page, the comments are generally quite negative towards Obama. With nearly 6.5 million views, it would be interesting to have been able to compare the comments in its launch to the comments of today. The evolution over time would likely demonstrate a powerful shift in public opinion. Since the creator acted entirely independently and initially anonymously, this is an excellent example of the incredible power and reach social media has placed in the hands of the public. "It represents the loss of campaign control and rise of authentically civic expression," (Jenkins, as cited in Kreiss, 2012).

Fundamental to the success of the digital media aspect of Obama's campaign was the ability to shift the opinions of online political activists, more specifically the 'net roots'. The term 'net roots' is an "overarching identity for a heterogeneous group of activists gathering online who see themselves involved in a common political enterprise to reshape the Democratic Party," (Kreiss, 2012, p. 199).  With target groups like this identified, one of the main goals of the campaign was to ‘‘move the needle incrementally’’ in terms of public perception (2012, p. 206). It is interesting to think about an incremental effect when considering the far-reaching potential of social media. Consideration should also be given with relation to the power of networks in a traditional sense. Obama was quoted as saying "Judge me by the people with whom I surround myself," (2008). In his campaign, this was a poignant statement in reference to the real-world and online networks that were formed. 

The interconnected tactics between traditional and digital media are also highlighted in this paper as a fundamental approach to employing successful strategies around information dissemination. There were perceived advantages in leveraging various media forms as tools for wide-spread influencing. There was also recognition in the value of professional/traditional media "for both its reach in terms of the general public and the legitimacy that it conferred upon strategic communications," (Kreiss, 2012, p.218). This is a fundamental statement in the successful use of effective tactics aimed at shaping or influencing public opinion through: 

• the identification of key target audiences
• the use of a digital media and the appreciation of public power
• the acknowledgement of the credibility and influence attained by credible, traditional media. 

From a digital media perspective, Twitter is often considered as an effective tool for disseminating news and information, particularly as "more media members gather information and frame their stories based on experiences and conversations on Twitter," (Wihbey, 2013). Research findings point out an interesting dichotomy between discussions and sentiment on twitter and the actual opinions of the adult population. "The platform appears to be fostering dialogue that is often different in subject matter and direction, and does not consistently track along the previously established lines of elite/mass or left/right," (Wihbey, 2013). This is a concerning point when considering there are 500 million tweets sent per day (https://about.twitter.com/company).

In both of these readings, the effectiveness of social media when considered in conjunction with traditional media was a prominent theme and message. There is no question that digital technology has impacted the expanse of the reach, however, it seems that traditional methods are still relied upon for their accuracy, professionalism and broader opinion. 

References

Kreiss, D. (2012). Acting in the Public Sphere: The 2008 Obama Campaign’s Strategic Use of New Media to Shape Narratives of the Presidential Race. Retrieved from http://danielkreiss.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/kreiss_actinginpublic1.pdf

Mitchell, A., Hitlin, P.  (2013). Twitter Reaction to Events Often at Odds with Overall
Public Opinion: Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://journalistsresource.org/studies/politics/elections/pew-research-twitter-reaction-even ts-odds-overall-public-opinion

Reed, J. (2007). Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama [photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20165251,00.html

Twitter for News [digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/will-this-help-twitters-high-speed-news-problem/