The Political Role of Social Media in Emerging Democracies

Abstract

Information and communications technology (ICT) enables the emergence of new forms of media. One of these new forms is social media. The research literature suggests that the strengthening of the media as an independent institution is essential for social development because, in a regimen of a free press, the media can report and genuinely discuss the needs and problems of citizens and businesses. Although the purpose of the media in a democracy is to serve all members of society, the media may not perform this role well due to lack of freedom and political influence. In emerging democracies, pro-government media monopolies often act as powerful anti-democratic forces that prevent journalism from expressing critical views against the political class. However, social media creates opportunities for organizations that are critical of the government to raise their voices and communicate their views to the public. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the political role of social media in emerging democracies. This thesis centers on the case study of a social tragedy in which 41 girls died as a consequence of a fire at a children's care home in Guatemala on March 08, 2017. The author collected digital trace data from Twitter disseminated in the aftermath of the tragedy and engaged in a mixed-method approach based on the interpretive case study method and social analytics. Social analytics is a subfield of data analytics that deals with the collection and analysis of interactions among people in online environments. This thesis contributes to the IS literature by explaining how different types of media organizations used Twitter to influence interpretations of the tragedy in the context of historical media censorship that characterizes emerging democracies like Guatemala.