Provides an historical and theoretical overview of social media combined with a discussion of its use in strategic communication for social change. Brings together leading strategic communication scholars and educators who have valuable insights for both social media and public relations as activism.

Provides an historical and theoretical overview of social media combined with a discussion of its use in strategic communication for social change. Brings together leading strategic communication scholars and educators who have valuable insights for both social media and public relations as activism.

In this book established researchers draw on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives to examine social media's impact on American politics. Chapters critically examine activism in the digital age, fake news, online influence, messaging tactics, news transparency and authentication, consumers' digital habits and ultimately the societal impacts that continue to be created by combining social media and politics. Through this book readers will better understand and approach with questions such as: * How exactly and why did social media become a powerful factor in politics? * What responsibilities do social networks have in the proliferation of factually wrong and hate-filled messages? Or should individuals be held accountable? * What are the state-of-the-art of computational techniques for measuring and determining social media's impact on society? * What role does online activism play in today's political arena? * What does the potent combination of social media and politics truly mean for the future of democracy? The insights and debates found herein provide a stronger understanding of the core issues and steer us toward improved curriculum and research aimed at a better democracy. Democracy in the Disinformation Age: Influence and Activism in American Politics will appeal to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics with an interest in areas including political science, media studies, mass communication, PR, and journalism.

In this book established researchers draw on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives to examine social media's impact on American politics. Chapters critically examine activism in the digital age, fake news, online influence, messaging tactics, news transparency and authentication, consumers' digital habits and ultimately the societal impacts that continue to be created by combining social media and politics. Through this book readers will better understand and approach with questions such as: * How exactly and why did social media become a powerful factor in politics? * What responsibilities do social networks have in the proliferation of factually wrong and hate-filled messages? Or should individuals be held accountable? * What are the state-of-the-art of computational techniques for measuring and determining social media's impact on society? * What role does online activism play in today's political arena? * What does the potent combination of social media and politics truly mean for the future of democracy? The insights and debates found herein provide a stronger understanding of the core issues and steer us toward improved curriculum and research aimed at a better democracy. Democracy in the Disinformation Age: Influence and Activism in American Politics will appeal to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as academics with an interest in areas including political science, media studies, mass communication, PR, and journalism.

Joining a thriving field of new media, this collective volume authored by global academics features important research by thought leaders within computer-mediated communication (CMC) and social media. Featuring 40 comprehensive chapters of new research that focuses on what is new, relevant, and cutting edge in the areas of CMC and social media, authors critically explore topics ranging from social media theories to civil rights. Divided into three parts, the handbook begins with theory and methods, which sets the foundation for the text and then moves into the applicability of strategy, tactics, and measurement. The final focus is toward the future of CMC and social media and its impact on the study and practice of communication. Uniquely relating social media communication research to its computer-mediated communication foundation, as well as digital and emerging media trends, this handbook is an indispensable resource whether you're a graduate student or a seasoned practitioner.

Regina Luttrell and Adrienne A. Wallace present an engaging introduction of social media's integration with modern society. Recognizing categories of relational, societal, and self while analyzing the social media environment, this introductory mass communications textbook establishes a framework for understanding how technology, culture, democracy, economy, and audience fragmentation interact with each media industry differently and relate to media literacy. Armed with this knowledge, future professional communicators gain a better understanding of their audience and the level to which their strategies influence the public. Social Media and Society empowers students as consumers and creators of social media and illustrates that, while the tools of communication have changed, the goals of social connection and influence have not. Features of this unique text include the following: -Relational/Societal/Self boxes provide a framework for analysis of media and society -In Theory boxes attaching theory to practice -Learning tools and enhanced pedagogy, such as Learning Objectives, Chapter Wrap-Up; Critical Thinking Questions, Media Sources, and End of Chapter Activities -Comprehensive Glossary of key terms -Full-color visuals capturing key trends and up-to-date data

Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and Brand Communication examines the myriad ways in which social media and the unique characteristics of the internet have changed brand communication for both brands and consumers, focusing on the social media influencer as a brand communicator. As brands have noticed the rise of social media influencers as tastemakers and leaders in public opinion, they have increasingly begun to incorporate social media influencers into their brand communication strategies. Each chapter of this book represents a unique theoretical and methodological approach to examining the emergence and growing legitimacy of the social media influencer as a brand communicator from a variety of perspectives and contexts, discussing challenges and opportunities afforded to brands by social media influencers and providing an overview of the current research on the use of these branding approaches. Scholars of media studies, communication, and marketing will find this book particularly useful.

A remarkable exploration of Wonder Woman's creation, mysterious identity, and evolution-and her extraordinary impact on her legions of fans. For generations, Wonder Woman has been a symbol of equality and female empowerment, her complex saga deeply rooted within the feminist movement. A staple of the comic book industry, she is arguably the best-known female superhero of all time. In Wonder Woman: Warrior, Disruptor, Feminist Icon, Regina Luttrell details this legendary superhero's origins, history, and evolution, from an ambassador of peace and love to the fiercest warrior in the DC Universe. Luttrell reveals how Wonder Woman's journeys are a reflection of each wave within the feminist movement and how her impact on culture and society continues to be felt today. Wonder Woman has become the epitome of technological sophistication, globalization, and modern-day feminism. She is truly a warrior, a disrupter, and a feminist icon. Luttrell's fascinating history includes the perspectives of famed feminist Gloria Steinem in her essay "Be the Wonder Woman You Can Be," as well as personal interviews with creator William Moulton Marson's surviving family members. Featuring a captivating examination of the oft-overlooked contributions of Marston's life partners and inspirations Elizabeth Holloway Marston and Olive Byrne, Wonder Woman is an incredible, in-depth exploration of this iconic feminist superhero.

Explores how Gen Z is a generation to be admired and celebrated for their superhero qualities. From the authors of The Millennial Mindset: Unraveling Fact from Fiction, comes this thought-provoking in-depth consideration of the next generation. In their book, Gen Z: The Superhero Generation, Regina Luttrell and Karen McGrath explain who this generation is, how they came to be, and the impact they will have on society. Superheroes are often defined as courageous, powerful, virtuous, and strong. Equipped with unique superpowers, these individuals stand up for what is right, battling supervillains to ensure that good prevails and all is well in the world. With a worldwide fascination surrounding superheroes, it should come as no surprise that the next generation, GenZ, display many of the characteristics found within the pages of the most popular hero-centric comic books. The Superhero Generation is making its mark and gaining recognition as the generation that is willing to once again assemble, march, speak, and defy in ways previous generations have not. In this book learn the characteristics of Gen-Zers to understand how to reach them in positive productive ways. Parents, educators, and employers will learn how to tap into the endless potential of this generation, preparing them for home, school, and workplace environments that will play to their strengths and impact the world for years to come.

Research Perspectives on Social Media Influencers and Brand Communication examines the myriad ways in which social media and the unique characteristics of the internet have changed brand communication for both brands and consumers, focusing on the social media influencer as a brand communicator. As brands have noticed the rise of social media influencers as tastemakers and leaders in public opinion, they have increasingly begun to incorporate social media influencers into their brand communication strategies. Each chapter of this book represents a unique theoretical and methodological approach to examining the emergence and growing legitimacy of the social media influencer as a brand communicator from a variety of perspectives and contexts, discussing challenges and opportunities afforded to brands by social media influencers and providing an overview of the current research on the use of these branding approaches. Scholars of media studies, communication, and marketing will find this book particularly useful.

Trump Tweets, the World Reacts: Understanding What Is Relevant and Why illustrates and articulates the intimate connection between theories presented in communication and the mediums through which President Trump communicates. Drawing on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this collection examines several transformations and implications of President Trump's influence on the social sphere, within economies, among government entities, and on the communications profession.

Trump Tweets, the World Reacts: Understanding What Is Relevant and Why illustrates and articulates the intimate connection between theories presented in communication and the mediums through which President Trump communicates. Drawing on a range of theoretical and empirical perspectives, this collection examines several transformations and implications of President Trump's influence on the social sphere, within economies, among government entities, and on the communications profession.

THIRD EDITION DESCRIPTION Updated to reflect the latest technological innovations-and challenges-Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect helps students understand and successfully use today's social media tools. Luttrell's text offers: - a thorough history of social media and pioneers of the field; - chapters on specific subjects such as photo-sharing, video, crisis communication, ethics, and "sticky social," among others; - discussions on appropriate use of social media in public relations, where the profession stands today and where it is headed in the future; and - real-world examples of successful social media campaigns. This book will become your go-to reference guide for all things social media-related as it applies to public relations and the everyday duties of PR professionals AUTHOR'S REVISION PLAN In addition to updating some of the links and refreshing the case studies throughout, this document contains specific updates that are necessary to keep Social Media: How to Engage, Share, & Connect current and relevant in the marketplace. Global Changes: Updates to statistics and numbers throughout the book. Updates to in-text examples of brands using social media. Updates to all case studies. Chapter 4: The Roadmap to Success: Developing a Social Media Plan Diversity First Approach: A 21st century look at the United States reveals that we are more ethnically and racially diverse than we have been historically, yet we continue to see gaffes in public relations campaigns that are simply unacceptable. These examples are all discussed in Chapter 12 Crisis Communication: Dove Beauty, Kent State, Gucci, Pepsi Co. and H&M are a few companies that have dealt with high-level embarrassing crisis situations due to incomprehensible social media and PR campaigns. I'd like to add content surrounding the 'diversity first' approach. In doing so, from the initial stages of research through evaluation we can teach our students how to develop more inclusive campaigns. Making diversity and inclusion top of mind when developing social media strategies for is needed in this next edition. Chapter 7: Social Networks This chapter highlights the major social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Pinterest. In addition to updating the chapter with new statistics for the platforms currently listed, the addition of TikTok is necessary. TikTok: TikTok used in PR With 500 million monthly users TikTok surpassed Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube in monthly downloads in the U.S. this year. Brands are starting to use for PR and marketing efforts. The first two companies to adopt a strategy were Guess and Universal Pictures. Both campaigns were extremely successful. The book needs to be updated to include this platform because it is the next SM tool used in our profession. Students must understand how to employ a strategy around TikTok. It is only a matter of time before the app introduces advertising and formal influencer marketing programs like other platforms. Chapter 10: Measuring Social Media's Impact & Value Data in PR In its current form this chapter addresses the fundamentals of measurement. We are in a new age where the consumer is in control. An unprecedented growth rate of social media adoption, where every interaction creates "big data" that can be tracked, mined and analyzed to inform strategic decisions. Those who understand how to harness the power of advanced analytics, social media analytics, social media listening and then apply data driven insights to precision targeting, engagement planning and content optimization, will reap the benefits and capture market opportunity. To this chapter, I want to add the importance of data driven decisions in the profession. Everything we share on social media is in the public domain. This creates a massive opportunity to glean intelligence down to the level of an individual, giving way to the endless possibilities on how measure and target individuals based on their personality traits, habits, preferences, relationships and even political views ... all from their digital footprints. Artificial Intelligence (AI), NLP, and data will be included. The content here will support the changes suggested in chapter 11. Chapter 11: Social Media Ethics Ethics of SM: Because of its transformative capacity across multiple domains, artificial intelligence (AI) is considered a textbook case in industry disruption. Algorithm-powered machines are taking on tasks faster and with fewer errors than those once completed by humans. This illustrates that AI has gained both momentum and importance within society over the past few years - and within PR and social media. AI can complement a communication professionals' skills such as predicting trends of publics, monitoring social media conversations, detecting fake news stories in an effective manner, speech recognition, decision-making, visual enhancements, and historical data. With all of this though, we must contend with the ethical dilemmas AI and data bring to the profession. To that end, I'd like to add a section in the ethics chapter on the implications of AI, data, and privacy.

THIRD EDITION DESCRIPTION Updated to reflect the latest technological innovations-and challenges-Social Media: How to Engage, Share, and Connect helps students understand and successfully use today's social media tools. Luttrell's text offers: - a thorough history of social media and pioneers of the field; - chapters on specific subjects such as photo-sharing, video, crisis communication, ethics, and "sticky social," among others; - discussions on appropriate use of social media in public relations, where the profession stands today and where it is headed in the future; and - real-world examples of successful social media campaigns. This book will become your go-to reference guide for all things social media-related as it applies to public relations and the everyday duties of PR professionals AUTHOR'S REVISION PLAN In addition to updating some of the links and refreshing the case studies throughout, this document contains specific updates that are necessary to keep Social Media: How to Engage, Share, & Connect current and relevant in the marketplace. Global Changes: Updates to statistics and numbers throughout the book. Updates to in-text examples of brands using social media. Updates to all case studies. Chapter 4: The Roadmap to Success: Developing a Social Media Plan Diversity First Approach: A 21st century look at the United States reveals that we are more ethnically and racially diverse than we have been historically, yet we continue to see gaffes in public relations campaigns that are simply unacceptable. These examples are all discussed in Chapter 12 Crisis Communication: Dove Beauty, Kent State, Gucci, Pepsi Co. and H&M are a few companies that have dealt with high-level embarrassing crisis situations due to incomprehensible social media and PR campaigns. I'd like to add content surrounding the 'diversity first' approach. In doing so, from the initial stages of research through evaluation we can teach our students how to develop more inclusive campaigns. Making diversity and inclusion top of mind when developing social media strategies for is needed in this next edition. Chapter 7: Social Networks This chapter highlights the major social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Pinterest. In addition to updating the chapter with new statistics for the platforms currently listed, the addition of TikTok is necessary. TikTok: TikTok used in PR With 500 million monthly users TikTok surpassed Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube in monthly downloads in the U.S. this year. Brands are starting to use for PR and marketing efforts. The first two companies to adopt a strategy were Guess and Universal Pictures. Both campaigns were extremely successful. The book needs to be updated to include this platform because it is the next SM tool used in our profession. Students must understand how to employ a strategy around TikTok. It is only a matter of time before the app introduces advertising and formal influencer marketing programs like other platforms. Chapter 10: Measuring Social Media's Impact & Value Data in PR In its current form this chapter addresses the fundamentals of measurement. We are in a new age where the consumer is in control. An unprecedented growth rate of social media adoption, where every interaction creates "big data" that can be tracked, mined and analyzed to inform strategic decisions. Those who understand how to harness the power of advanced analytics, social media analytics, social media listening and then apply data driven insights to precision targeting, engagement planning and content optimization, will reap the benefits and capture market opportunity. To this chapter, I want to add the importance of data driven decisions in the profession. Everything we share on social media is in the public domain. This creates a massive opportunity to glean intelligence down to the level of an individual, giving way to the endless possibilities on how measure and target individuals based on their personality traits, habits, preferences, relationships and even political views ... all from their digital footprints. Artificial Intelligence (AI), NLP, and data will be included. The content here will support the changes suggested in chapter 11. Chapter 11: Social Media Ethics Ethics of SM: Because of its transformative capacity across multiple domains, artificial intelligence (AI) is considered a textbook case in industry disruption. Algorithm-powered machines are taking on tasks faster and with fewer errors than those once completed by humans. This illustrates that AI has gained both momentum and importance within society over the past few years - and within PR and social media. AI can complement a communication professionals' skills such as predicting trends of publics, monitoring social media conversations, detecting fake news stories in an effective manner, speech recognition, decision-making, visual enhancements, and historical data. With all of this though, we must contend with the ethical dilemmas AI and data bring to the profession. To that end, I'd like to add a section in the ethics chapter on the implications of AI, data, and privacy.

On a daily basis, public relations practitioners are tasked with making ethical decisions, such as advising a client to fully disclose a corporate relationship or advocating for honesty when working with the media. A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations is designed for courses in contemporary studies of public relations and communications. This text highlights the delicate balance required to navigate the values and demands implicit to the field of public relations and those that underlie society as a whole. Students are encouraged to examine their own values and compare them to those commonly encountered in a professional setting. Brimming with case studies, practitioner advice, practical ethical dilemmas, and popular culture references, A Practical Guide to Ethics in Public Relations is the ideal text for students grappling with the inevitable ethical dilemmas that arise in professional public relations.