Social Media as Revolutionary Tools for Entertainment, News and Advocacy

All semester, we've learned that social media are the means to bringing entertainment, news and advocacy to public light.  In an article on March 19th, 2012, The New York Times writes that "must-see fever" for new films, such as "The Hunger Games," involve a yearlong digital campaign centered around the preferred media of today's youth, namely Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Tumblr, iPhone games and Yahoo streaming. Rather than use traditional modes of advertising and marketing, movie studios are turning to social media chief officers to get the word out using the tools of Web 2.0.

Likewise, "freemium" is the new business strategy for novice game developers to cull profits. For instance, the NYT describes how a husband-and-wife team of game makers from North Carolina decided to give away their "Temple Run" iPhone game for free during "Free App Day" as a means to gain popularity and increase profits through additional game-related purchases.

Finally, having reached over 84 million hits in just a few weeks, the video Kony 2012 demonstrates the revolution in alternative video makers' ability to advocate for social justice by using social media to distribute its message.  Using a model of media literacy, I'll be presenting in class how the creation, publishing and distribution of news has been altered as a result of digital media.

Energizing the Groundswell through "Pinterest"

On March 12, 2012, The New York Times analyzed "Pinterest" and its unique ability to bring together  unique subscribers to amalgamate their own "online pin boards." The site has over 16.1 million unique users in January in the U.S. alone, and continues to grow.  How does it work?  The site energizes the groundswell by encouraging users to post photos of content from other online sites with personalized comments and ratings, thereby increasing traffic and exposure to commercial and social sites.  As authors Li and Bernoff explain, this technology draws from three basic principles, namely to "tap into customers' enthusiasm with ratings and reviews, create community, and participate in and energize online communities of your brand enthusiasts."  I know some of you have written about Pinterest, but are any of you avid users?  Share your experiences with us!