SOCIAL MEDIA A POWERFUL TOOL OF COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY CITIZEN JOURNALISTS PJAEE, 17 (12) (2020) Social Media a Powerful tool of communication: A case study of use of social media by citizen journalists 1Ms.Neelu Sharma,2Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami 1Research Scholar, Department of Journalism &Mass Communication, SRM University, Kattankulathur Campus 2Deputy Dean & Professor, Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM Institute of Science and Technology , Chennai,India 1Ms.Neelu Sharma,2 Dr. Sridhar Krishnaswami, Social Media a Powerful tool of communication: A case study of use of social media by citizen journalists---- Palarch’s Journal Of Archaeology Of Egypt/Egyptology 17(12). ISSN 1567-214x Abstract: Social Media is a term used to describe the type of media that is based on creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks using web based technologies –Wikipedia For almost two decades Web has transformed and changed the way information is stored, published, searched and consumed. The effect has been wide and has influenced almost all spheres of life impacting not just business and industries but also Politics, education, media, healthcare transcending geographies and cultural boundaries. The great wave of web innovation since Google in 1998 has been in social media. Social media is about networking and communicating through text, video, blogs, pictures, status updates on sites such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn or microblogs such as Twitter. What makes social media of particular interest to journalism is how it has become influential as a communication and news-breaking tool. Social media has played a significant role in recent outbreaks of social protest and resistance. The mushrooming of Occupy protests, the Arab Spring, the mobilization of resistance against the Government of the Ukraine or in Hong Kong was heavily dependent on the resources provided by the social media. Many observers have concluded that in a networked world social media possesses the potential to promote public participation, engagement and the process of democratizing public life. The role of participatory and social media in Iran and during Mumbai attacks in 2008 have caused New York academic and blogger Jeff Jarvis to argue that ‘the witnesses are taking over the news’, that we are witnessing a historic shift of control from traditional news organisations to the audience themselves. This paper focuses on the role of social media as a tool by the citizens as a powerful tool of communication. Key words: Media, Social media, Communication tool, citizen journalism 44 SOCIAL MEDIA A POWERFUL TOOL OF COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY CITIZEN JOURNALISTS PJAEE, 17 (12) (2020) Introduction: Social Media is a term used to describe the type of media that is based on creation and sharing of information, ideas, career interests and other forms of expression via virtual communities and networks using web based technologies –Wikipedia Rise of Social Media as a powerful tool of communication For almost two decades Web has transformed and changed the way information is stored, published, searched and consumed. The effect has been wide and has influenced almost all spheres of life impacting not just business and industries but also Politics, education, media, healthcare transcending geographies and cultural boundaries. The great wave of web innovation since Google in 1998 has been in social media. Social media is about networking and communicating through text, video, blogs, pictures, status updates on sites such as Facebook, Myspace, LinkedIn or microblogs such as Twitter. What makes social media of particular interest to journalism is how it has become influential as a communication and news-breaking tool. Social media has played a significant role in recent outbreaks of social protest and resistance. The mushrooming of Occupy protests, the Arab Spring, the mobilization of resistance against the Government of the Ukraine or in Hong Kong was heavily dependent on the resources provided by the social media. Many observers have concluded that in a networked world social media possesses the potential to promote public participation, engagement and the process of democratizing public life. The role of participatory and social media in Iran and during Mumbai attacks in 2008 have caused New York academic and blogger Jeff Jarvis to argue that ‘the witnesses are taking over the news’, that we are witnessing a historic shift of control from traditional news organisations to the audience themselves. Social media has been adopted as a significant source by professional journalists, and conversely, citizens are able to use social media as a form of direct reportage. Social media content now forms a significant part of the digital content generated every day, and provides a platform for voices that would not reach the broader public through traditional journalistic media alone. Social Media as The Fifth Estate: If the press is the Fourth Estate, William Dutton of the Oxford Internet Institute termed social media as the emergence of the Fifth Estate. Dutton further said “we are witnessing the emergence of powerful new voices and networks which can act independently of the traditional media. Highly networked individuals (helped by new platforms like social networking and messaging) can move across, undermine and go beyond the boundaries of existing institutions, Social Media therefore can be undoubtedly termed as Fifth estate 45 SOCIAL MEDIA A POWERFUL TOOL OF COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY CITIZEN JOURNALISTS PJAEE, 17 (12) (2020) Theoretical Framework Social Media Marketing Today, technology is driving the world, it has transformed business and marketing strategies enormously and the change is evident across the stream. The offshoot of it is the Social media platform that has opened avenues for companies and retailers broadening their marketing campaigns to a wider range of consumers. Social media forms the best method of suggestive selling in the times when the user switches to social media to relax and connect. Social media is the most powerful and cost effective marketing and branding tool and platform that ensures the most expressive and truthful. It has wider and direct reach across the world. “According to Lazer and Kelly’s (1973) Social media marketing is defined "concerned with the application of marketing knowledge, concepts, and techniques to enhance social as well as economic ends. It is also concerned with the analysis of the social consequences of marketing policies, decisions and activities." [i] Social media marketing works on the concept of using existing social media sites like Face book, twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Instagram, Flickr, Ibibo, etc. and selling the products it’s a win win to both the social media which offers free service and gains money through the advertisements of the companies. At the same time the youth get to see e marketing sites online while they are on leisure at social media sites and browse the web sites and shop. “Barefoot and Szabo (2010) define social media marketing as use of social media channels to promote a company and its products. They believe social media marketing comprises of the traditional web-based promotion strategies, including email newsletters and online advertising.” [ii] “Robert and Kraynak (2008) explain the social media is changing the role of the customers into advertisers and marketers of the company. Customers can create positive or negative pressure, according to their experience of the companies’ product and services. [iii]” Chi (2011) defines social media marketing as a “connection between brands and consumers, [while] offering a personal channel and currency for user centered networking and social interaction.”[iv]. “Weinberg (2009) has defined social media marketing as the process that empowers individuals to promote their websites, products, or services through online social channels and tap into a much larger community that may not have been available via traditional channels” Kietzmann et al (2011) in their paper, building blocks for social media ‘, present a framework that defines social media by using seven functional building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationships, reputation, and groups. As different social media activities are defined by the extent to which they focus on some 46 SOCIAL MEDIA A POWERFUL TOOL OF COMMUNICATION: A CASE STUDY OF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BY CITIZEN JOURNALISTS PJAEE, 17 (12) (2020) or all of these blocks, we explain the implications that each block can have for how firms should engage with social media. [v] Social media marketing aims at creating a brand and image management of companies and organizations. It provides an opportunity for customers to extend their feedback and create content that has shared in social networks. [vi] Senecal & Nantel (2004) Stating the benefits of Social media Do-Hyung explains that theadvantage with social media is that the modern consumers has different sources of information and experiences, which have been facilitated by other customers’ information and recommendations. [vii] “According to a report on NASSCOM, Social media gained momentum during 2013, capturing the imagination of both individuals and organizations across the globe as well as India.” The mobile revolution, rapidly expanding Internet usage and the growing