CHAPTER
ONE
1.0
Introduction
1.1
Background to the Study
Advancement
in modern technology which resulted in building computer/internet in short
information and communication technology (ICT) in the late 20th century and
with more powerful and sophisticated ones in this 21th century which has transformed
the world into a global village as postulated by a Canadian English professor,
Marshal Mcluhan.
This
new technology has compressed the whole world into a single electronic to where
information about far and near can be exchanged and shared with just a click of
mouse.
Internet
being the host of many other media tagged socio-media like: Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube, Ebay, Ebuddy, Eskimi, 2go, Yahoo, Google e.t.c making information
distribution faster, cheaper and easier. The arrival of this information and
communication technology has affected and the usual shapes of every human
activities ranging from education to agriculture, business, mass communication,
politics, health.
However,
the practice of public relation is not exceptional as ICT has influenced the
PRS being practice in this century.
Carrying
out project work relating to the effect of social media on the practice of PRS
will lead to the definition of ‘core word’ like public relations from different
perspectives.
According
to the Institute
of Public Relations, “public
relations is a deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and
maintain mutual understanding between an organization and its various publics.
Therefore, there is no gain saying in
the fact that, the practice of PR in this century has moved from manual to the
digital public relations.
Digital
public relations or an e-public relations is the latest concept in corporate
reputation management.
It
is the practice of public relations through the new ICT, it is an innovation
concept that is computer mediated, yet it is cheaper.
Today
organization and clients are making greater demand as on public relations
professionals that are more ICT creative, more innovation and more efficiency
in service delivery.
1.2
Statement of the Problem
The
major concern of this project work is to access how social media such as
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, 2go e.t.c can enhance the practice of public
relations especially in creating and maintain mutual understanding for better
interaction.
It
is also the interest of the research to examine cost effectiveness, speedy
delivery of message and see how public relations can translate the social media
into feedback and opinion media.
1.3
Research Questions
Consequently,
this research will be attempting to provide solution to the following key
questions that seems not clear about the uses of print, broadcasting and social
media as tools of public relations.
v
How
Social Media are impacting on the Public Relations practice in Globalcom. Nigeria?
v
To
what extent do Public Relations Practitioners are Actually Using Social media
for communication?
v
To
what extent has the use of social media reduce the cost of communication and
advertisement in Globalcom. Nigeria?
v
Do
publics of Globalcom Nigeria
share their views and opinions with Glo on any issue through social media?
v
To
what extent have social media replaced the use of traditional media?
v
What
is the future of public relations with the use of social media?
v
To
what extent has public relations of Globalcom Nigeria used social media to
complement the traditional mass media?
1.4
Purpose of the Study
v
To
what extents have Social Media are impacted on the Public Relations practice in Globalcom. Nigeria.
v
To
examine the extent which Public Relations Practitioners Are Actually using
social media new era communication channel media for communication.
v
To
know if the use of social media has reduced the cost of communication and
advertisement in Globalcom. Nigeria.
v
To
study whether the publics of Globalcom Nigeria share their views and opinions with Glo on any issue through
social media
v
To
know the extent social media have replaced the use of traditional media
v
To
study the future of public relations with the use of social media
v
To
understand if public relations of Globalcom Nigeria use social media to complement the traditional mass media.
1.5
Scope of the Study
This
research focuses on the appraisal of information and
communication technology on public relations efforts in an organisation with a reference to the global
communication Nigeria
especially public relations and customer care departments.
1.6
The Significance f the Study
This
research work tries to provide satisfactory answers to some questions that are
disturbing the mind of policy formulators, students and researchers especially
on place of social media in the practices of public relations.
Moreover,
policy formulators will benefit from this research work because they will be
able to identify the usefulness of social media in complementing the traditional
mass media on public relations in terms of policy formulations and corporate
management.
Public
relations practitioners will as well able to develop new strategies that can
work well using the social media in achieving public relations goals.
1.7
Limitations to the Study
There
is no gain saying in the fact that research work like this cannot be written
without some hindrances that include but not limited to this following:
TIME: Time is another hindrance as there is
just limited time to complete the research work
FINANCE: There is also a financial constrain in
carrying out this research work.
MATERIAL: There is little literature available
under the topic to consult.
1.8
Definition of Terms
Publics: A group of persons with similar
aspiration and ideas, interest and characteristics that is of importance to an
organization
Public
Relation: Is the
deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual
understandings between an organization and its publics
Relations: The way in which two people or group
behaves towards each other or deal with one another
Organization: A group of people who form a business
together in order to achieve a particular aim or a group with a particular
purpose
Social
Media: A group of
internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological
foundations of web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of
user-generated content. (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010)
Social
Skills: Any skills
facilitating interaction and communication with others. Social rules and relations
are created, communicated and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways through a
process called socialization.
Cyberspace:
This is the electronic
medium of computer networks, in which online communication takes place.
