Date of Award

1-1-2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. Carolyn Cunningham

Second Advisor

Dr. Kristina Morehouse

Abstract

One of the most important objectives of media is to provide citizens with the information they need to make informed decisions. Based on the theory of technological determinism by scholars such as Marshall McLuhan, the innovations of a society are driven by its technology, so the widely-used medium of social media has been found to have a growing influence in civic matters. This thesis examined how social media usage impacted offline civic engagement. Through an analysis of a sample of 49 political candidates' Facebook and Twitter activity, this study questioned whether social media impacted the outcome of the 2012 General Election. Additionally, how people use social media can translate to how they behave and engage in society offline. Uses and gratifications theory states that users of media are active participants and not just left impressionable by the message. Through survey research with 72 respondents, this study also analyzed how citizens' online behavior influenced their offline civic engagement in areas such as voting turnout, campaign volunteerism and monetary donations. The study and accompanying survey add much-needed research in the new but increasingly relevant research area of social media civic engagement.

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