Social Media's Influence on Political Communication: A Content Analysis of Donald Trump's Tweets in the First 100 Days of His Presidency

Author

Priscilla L. Flores, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

Date of Award

5-2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

Dr. William F. Strong

Second Advisor

Dr. John Cook

Third Advisor

Dr. Louis Falk

Abstract

Evolving technologies allow politicians to directly reach large audiences to increase interaction. Nevertheless, the average American’s attention span fell from twelve to eight seconds in the last decade; creating a gap that traditional media could not fill. Modern social media fills the gap by allowing information to be more accessible, direct, and permanent. Now, politicians can address audiences more frequently and directly through mobile devices - a tactic which creates a perception of immediacy unseen in past political climates. Donald Trump demonstrated that Twitter can be just as effective - if not more so - than traditional means of political connection. Twitter allows unfiltered communication with users and bypasses established mainstream media.

The goal of this study is to analyze the broadcast of Donald Trump’s message on Twitter through the lens of Kenneth Burke’s Theory of Identification and Division.

Comments

Copyright 2018 Priscilla L. Flores. All Rights Reserved.

https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/social-medias-influence-on-political/docview/2100729469/se-2?accountid=7119

Recommended Citation

Flores, Priscilla L., "Social Media's Influence on Political Communication: A Content Analysis of Donald Trump's Tweets in the First 100 Days of His Presidency" (2018). Theses and Dissertations. 228.
https://scholarworks.utrgv.edu/etd/228