Towards the two-way symmetrical communication model: The use of Social media to create dialogue around brands By Christelle Matthee s205002269 Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister Atrium in Applied Media Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University JANUARY 2011 SUPERVISOR: Mrs. Bianca Wright, HOD Department of Journalism, Media and Philosophy, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 1 DECLARATION I, CHRISTELLE MATTHEE, in accordance with Rule G4.6.3, hereby declare that: This treatise is the result of my own original research and that this work has not previously been submitted for assessment to another university. This research contained in this treatise is being submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister Atrium in Applied Media Studies in the Faculty of Arts at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. All sources used or referred to in this treatise have been documented and recognised. I hereby give consent for my treatise, if accepted, to be made available to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University Library and for the title and summary to be made available to outside organisations. SIGNED: CHRISTELLE MATTHEE ……………………………………………….. DATE: 10 JANUARY 2011 ©2011 Christelle Matthee All rights reserved 2 Abstract Social media has radically altered today‘s media landscape, and presents public relations practitioners with new possibilities and opportunities to promote their companies. Social media enables public relations to observe in order to find out what people need; what content they are looking for; and how your company can help them. However, will engaging in online conversations give an organisation‘s consumers a voice? Past PR models illustrate how methods of communication was established and used in the past. However, the Grunig and Hunt two-way symmetrical model creates the possibility of two-way communication (dialogue) between consumer and organisation in which the power relations are equal. By applying Web 2.0 (social media) to these models, one can explore new ways of two-way communication. Finally by applying these elements to each other, a case study can be created to prove if social media can be used to create a dialogue between consumer and organisation. Keywords: Social Media, Public Relations, Communication, Conversation. 3 Acknowledgements A special thank you to: Dr. Dirk Coetzee. Senior lecturer in the Department of Classical & Near Eastern Studies at the Free State University Gugile Nkwinti, (MP) Minister for Rural Development and Land Reform. (B.Admin, UNISA; Post Graduate Diploma in Economic Principals, London University; and MSc Public Policy and Management, London University) 4 TABLE OF CONTENT Abstract.......................................................................................................... 3 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................10 1.2 Public relations and technology.............................................................................10 1.3 Social media in South Africa..................................................................................12 1.4 Significance of the study........................................................................................13 1.5 Problem statement.................................................................................................14 1.6 Research aims/ objectives.....................................................................................14 1.7 Research design and method................................................................................14 1.8 Theoretical framework and rationale......................................................................17 1.9 Conclusion.............................................................................................................19 CHAPTER 2: THE EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS 2.1 Introduction............................................................................................................20 2.3 Defining Public Relations.......................................................................................20 2.3 Communication modelling......................................................................................21 2.4 History of Public Relations.....................................................................................23 2.4.1 Public Relations of the 90s......................................................................26 2.4.1.1 1920‘s.......................................................................................26 2.4.1.2 1930‘s.......................................................................................27 2.4.1.3 1940‘s.......................................................................................27 2.4.1.4 1950‘s.......................................................................................28 2.4.1.5 1960‘s – 1970‘s.........................................................................28 2.4.1.6 1980‘s – 1990‘s.........................................................................29 2.4.1.7 2000‘s........................................................................................30 2.5 Grunig and Hunt‘s four Models of Public Relations................................................31 2.5.1 Press Agentry/Publicity Model.................................................................31 2.5.2 Public Information Model.........................................................................33 2.5.3 Two-way Asymmetric Model....................................................................36 2.5.4 Two-way Symmetrical Model...................................................................39 2.6 Conclusion..............................................................................................................40 5 CHAPTER 3: PUBLIC RELATIONS AND NEW MEDIA 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................42 3.2 Technological advances in communication...........................................................43 3.2.1 Ideographic or syllabic writing.................................................................43 3.3.2 Alphabetic writing....................................................................................44 3.2.3 Printing.....................................................................................................45 3.2.4 Electric telegraphs....................................................................................47 3.2.5 Telephone................................................................................................48 3.2.6 Radio and Television...............................................................................49 3.2.7 Computers...............................................................................................50 3.3 Traditional Communication Channels.....................................................................54 3.3.1 Controlled and uncontrolled media...........................................................55 3.3.2 Internal and external media......................................................................56 3.3.2.1 Internal media............................................................................56 3.3.2.2 External media...........................................................................57 3.4 Communication revolution: Web 2.0........................................................................59 3.4.1 New media studies: From Web 1.0 to Web 2.0.........................................60 3.4.1.1 The beginning: Web 1.0..............................................................60 3.4.1.2 The revolution: Web 2.0..............................................................61 3.4.1.3 The principles of Web 2.0...........................................................63 3.4.1.4 From PR 1.0 to PR2.0.................................................................65 3.4.2 What is social media? ...............................................................................68 3.4.3 Types of social media................................................................................70 3.4.3.1 Social networks...........................................................................71 3.4.3.2 Blogs...........................................................................................71 3.4.3.3 Wikis............................................................................................72 3.4.3.4 Podcasting...................................................................................72 3.4.3.5 Social tagging and social bookmarking.......................................73 3.4.3.6 Micromedia..................................................................................73 3.4.3.7 Purpose-specific social sharing sites...........................................74 3.4.4 Interactivity and Participation......................................................................75 3.4.4.1 Interaction.....................................................................................75 3.4.4.2 Participation..................................................................................76 3.4.4.3 Openness.....................................................................................76 3.4.4.4 Community /User-generated content/user-led innovation............76