elenyhooijer

[elenyhooijer]

Public Relations in the Social Media Scene

“Social media makes communication more transparent and also makes the practitioner’s job more challenging since everybody can be the content reporter and creator” - Juan Meng, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia.

This quote perfectly explains the effects that social media has had on public relations (PR) through the convergence of platforms, the combination of production and use and the spreadability of online content. With the affordances that social media brings, the nature of the PR profession has been restructured to maintain the relevance of PR online. Due to this, those working in PR must now develop the social media literacies in order to thrive in the newly-formed participatory culture. Through all these changes online, the relationships that PR professions have with their audience comes with new possibilities of forming messages directed to specific people. Therefore, even though social media has restructured the nature of PR, those working in the profession have the potential to flourish in the converged, online scene. 

Change in Nature of the Profession

Convergence is a result of the formation of Web 2.0, which has blurred the boundaries between platforms and allows content to flow across numerous media (Latzer, 2013). Due to convergence, competition has increased between PR and marketing, as any company in these fields can now use the Internet to promote and market brands (Nuccio, 2015). An example of a marketing company utilising techniques that belong to PR is TrinityP3. TrinityP3 uses social media to increase brand awareness and maintain a positive brand image for clients. Thus, marketing firms, such as TrinityP3, are now able to manage a brand with the use of social media, which was a job that originally belonged to PR. Consequently, PR in its traditional sense of managing a brand through television and newspapers is no longer relevant due to the development of social media (Public Relations Institute of Australia, 2016). Thus, the profession of PR has undergone changes through integrating marketing tactics, with the use of social media, to maintain online relevance.

In order to adapt to these social media, marketing tactics, the nature of PR has altered. Instead of finding an angle, PR now needs to find a voice and instead of being able to turn messages on and off, messages must now be sustained over time (Wright & Hinson, 2008, p. 5). This is evident in WWF’s “Last Selfie” PR campaign. WWF’s PR team utilised Snapchat’s feature of disappearing images to present how quickly species become endangered. This message was demonstrated by posting 10-second videos of endangered animals with the caption, “Don’t let this be my #lastselfie”. The audience was encouraged to take a screenshot of the last scene of the videos and share them on Twitter to increase awareness of the brand. This campaign reached almost 50% of active Twitter users by utilising marketing techniques in a transmedia approach. Thus, adapting to convergence through using marketing tactics effectively raises brand awareness and retains the importance of PR online (Scolari, 2014). However, the adaptation of marketing techniques through social media is only possible once PR practitioners themselves gain the skills and literacies of the Internet.

Source: http://www.justforthis.com/

Change in the People of the Profession

Convergence has further resulted in the formation of the public sphere and networked publics. The public sphere is a space that allows anyone to speak and to be heard on topics that were once controlled (McKee, 2005). Evidently, PR is now in an era of networked publics, where the affordances of social media allow for new forms of interaction and participation (Boyd, 2010, p. 39). Those that were once passive viewers can now present their opinions and control a brand’s image, which is known as ‘produsage’. The combination of producer and usage is a term invented by Alex Bruns (2006), which stems from both networked publics and the public sphere. This is seen through users being able to produce content and control brand images on websites such as Yelp and Wikipedia (Gray, 2016). The Public Relations Society of America held a survey in 2013 that found that the Wikipedia pages of 59% of PR clients had been wrongfully edited to contain harmful, factual errors. These errors were written by general members of the public sphere who are now key players in the PR field.

Evidently, those in PR must learn to use social media to resolve the reputation-damaging ability of these new PR practitioners, or, ‘produsers’ (Solis & Breakenridge, 2009, p. 167). An effective method that traditional PR practitioners can now utilise to control online postings is joining the conversation (Nuccio, 2015). For example, the PR team of Telstra has effectively adapted to social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook and Twitter to apologise and offer a resolution for customers. Through learning to join the online conversation space, ‘produsers’ appreciate the company more and are less inclined to leave further negative comments (Devaney & Stein, 2014). Therefore, adaptation to social media is crucial for PR professionals to maintain a company’s brand image by cultivating a close relationship with their audiences.

Change in Relationship with Audiences

With the formation of networked publics, audiences have become reconceptualised and empowered in a way that allows PR professionals to develop closer relationships with them (Jenkins, 2006, p. 24). This reconceptualisation means audience members now have the ability to make content culturally meaningful, which aids PR firms in the handling of online brand images (Chung & Taneja, 2016). The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and his PR team utilised these empowered audiences to develop meaningful messages for why Modi should become their Prime Minister. By reading the audience’s online posts about what changes they wanted to see, Modi’s PR team was able to rebrand Modi’s messages on Twitter, directed to India’s expansive online population. Due to this, Modi was voted in as India’s Prime Minister as empowered audiences allowed for Modi’s PR team to rebrand his image to relate to the audience. Relating to the audience caused viewers to share Modi’s Twitter posts, increasing the scalability of the party’s messages (Pal, Chandra, & Vydiswaran, 2016).

Modi’s successful PR story is an example of how the affordances of SNSs do not dictate behaviour, they shape the environment to allow for participant engagement (Boyd, 2011). Thus, with the capability of audience engagement, the power that PR once held has been decentralised online, as the audience is able to influence how PR measures are portrayed and shared. PR firms must now listen to their audiences online, rather than going directly to a journalist (Damasio, Dias, & Andrade, 2012, p. 17). The relationships that PR professionals can now develop with their audience due to the reconceptualisation and empowerment of audiences has, evidently, altered the nature of PR.

In a world that appears to have been overtaken by social media, the profession of PR has seen many changes. Since the traditional media of television and newspapers are becoming less popular with the rise of SNSs, the nature of the PR profession has faced alterations. These alterations include both the adaptation of social media and the inclusion of marketing techniques into campaigns to ensure the profession of PR maintains its importance. PR professionals themselves must now also adapt to the newfound participatory culture online, as networked publics allow almost anyone to control a company’s brand image. However, the most important factor of social media adaptation is being able to communicate and foster strong relationships with audience members to ensure the reputation of brands remains intact. Therefore, it is evident that social media has reshaped the profession of PR with affordances that allow PR professionals to continue thriving in the business economy.

References

Boyd, D. (2010). Social Networking Sites as Networked Publics: Affordances, Dynamics, and Implications. In Z. Papacharissi (Ed.), Networked Self: Identity, Community, and Culture on Social Networking Sites (pp. 39-58).

Bruns, A. (2006). Towards Produsage: Futures for User-led Content Production. In F. Sudweeks, H. Hrachevec & C. Ess (Eds.), Proceedings Cultural Attitudes towards Communication and Technology.

Chung, S., & Taneja, H. (2016). Reassessment of Audience in Public Relations Industry: How Social Media Reshape Public Relations Measurements. Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 17(1), 60-77.

Damasio, M. J., Dias, P., & Andrade, J. G. (2012). The Pyramid: Social Media and the New Role of Public Relations in Organisations. International Journal of Public Relations, 11(4), 11-30.

Devaney, T., & Stein, T. (2014). Handing Haters: How to Respond to Negative Online Reviews. Forbes Magazine.

Gray, M. L. (2016). Your Job is About to Get 'Taskified', Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0110-digital-turk-work-20160110-story.html

Jenkins, H. (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide: NYU Press.

Latzer, M. (2013). Media Convergence. In R. Towse & C. Handke (Eds.), A Handbook of the Digital Creative Economy. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2271508.

McKee, A. (2005). Introduction. In The Public Sphere: An Introduction. Melbourne: Cambridge University Press.

Nuccio, L. (2015). The Savvy Social Media Maven's Guide to Media Intelligence. Retrieved from https://www.pria.com.au/sb_cache/priablog/id/3149/f/SM_Maven_Ebook.pdf

Pal, J., Chandra, P., & Vydiswaran, V. (2016). Twitter and the Rebranding of Narendra Modi, Economic and Political Weekly. Retrieved from http://joyojeet.people.si.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Twitter-and-the-Rebranding-of-Narendra-Modi.pdf

Public Relations Institute of Australia. (2016). The Future of PR: Adapt, or be Left Behind. Retrieved March 28, 2017, from https://www.pria.com.au/priablog/the-future-of-pr-adapt-or-be-left-behind

Scolari, C. A. (2014). Transmedia Storytelling: New Ways of Communicating in the Digital Age. The International Journal of Multimedia & Its Applications, 8(6), 69-79. Retrieved from http://www.accioncultural.es/media/Default Files/activ/2014/Adj/Anuario_ACE_2014/EN/6Storytelling_CScolari.pdf.

Solis, B., & Breakenridge, D. K. (2009). Putting the Public back in Public Relations: How Social Media is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR. New Jersey: FT Press.

Wright, D. K., & Hinson, M. D. (2008). How Blogs and Social Media are Changing Public Relations and the Way it is Practiced. Public Relations Journal, 2(2), 2-21.

[elenyhooijer]

Secrets to a Successful Career in Journalism, Media and Communication

Due to globalisation and the expanding empire of media convergence, anybody has the potential of becoming a journalism, media and communication (JMC) professional in the 21st century. Due to this competitive market, it is difficult for individuals to stay relevant. No longer are journalists able to simply broadcast the news and expect job satisfaction; media professionals must now develop their brand in a way that will connect them to the audience, resulting in loyal and engaged viewers (Olmeda, 2007). Three secrets that will develop this success, are passion, innovation and networking. Through networking, journalists are able to expand their fan base and creativity, which will result in gaining the ability to innovate and form new ideas (Goudreau, 2012). However, none of this would be possible without a drive, or passion.

Secret to Success: Passion The only way for journalists in today’s converging scene to make a lasting impact on the public, is through being passionate. A passionate person is enthusiastic to uncover scandals, gather information and inform the public. (Zeeshan, 2015) Passionate journalists work in ways that acknowledge the individuality of the world, through active listening and intelligent questioning. This passion, is what can make journalists extremely successful (Gupta, 2015). Since passionate people are more ethical and responsible, they are highly respected. One passionate journalist who remained clear-headed and maintained accuracy while reporting on the war in Yemen, is Almigdad Mojalli (Spencer, 2016). Mojalli, unfortunately passed away due to a Saudi-led coalition airstrike. Mojalli’s passion, however, led to recognition by companies such as The New York Times and The Telegraph (2016), stating him to be “undeniably professional, accurate, (and) able to stand back from his subject-matter”. Thus, Mojalli was able to effectively act as part of the Public Sphere (the general public opinion) and the Fourth Estate (the public watchdogs), through his passion (Sternberg, 2016). Without this passion, journalists tend to gain less appreciation, as audience members find it difficult to connect with someone who does not exude equity, trustworthiness and personality. This will further result in a lowered job satisfaction (Gupta, 2015).

The main method of becoming a successful, passionate journalist, is through remaining interested, sceptical and objective. Actively and passionately researching diverse opinions and stories will further aid the legitimacy of news broadcasts (Olmeda, 2007). When viewing a news story, the audience is not looking for the journalist, they are there for the story, which requires journalists to maintain accuracy. Although, audience members still need a reason to stay interested, which will only be possible through persistence and compassion (Bassinger, 2016). With this compassion, journalists must remember that news is being broadcasted to real humans. Maintaining this outlook will result in a larger following and recognition by companies, which further progresses the journalist’s career (O'Byrne, et al., 2007). If a journalist is unaware of how to find their passion, they must attempt to develop new skills, such as writing, editing, photography and social media. These skills, combined with motivation, will not only gain journalists greater appreciation, they will consequently be seen as more versatile and a larger asset to the newsroom (Tenore, 2013). Therefore, through testing different activities to find their passion, journalists will effectively gain respect and success, along with the ability to innovate.

Secret to Success: Innovation Innovation is an extremely important and relevant aspect to a successful and long-term career within JMC. Krumsvik and Storsul (2013, 14) explain innovation as, “new combinations of existing ideas, competencies and resources”. Therefore, innovation is the process of implementing new ideas to create value for an organisation (“What Is Innovation | Yale ITS”, 2016). With the competitive and fast-paced world we live in, companies and individuals must be able to adapt to ever-changing social trends, as well as meeting the demands and expectations of their target audience. By innovating regularly, already existing products can be improved, unproductive matter can be culled, and brand new material can be introduced to the market. This process and mind-set is the recipe for success to remain relevant in the 21st Century. Without innovation, it is impossible to build a long term and successful empire. As Pollard (2010) states, “Learning and innovation go hand in hand. The arrogance of success is to think that what you did yesterday will be sufficient for tomorrow.” Thus, in order to form successful, innovative ideas, JMC professionals must observe what customers are interested in and what they expect from the company. Eliminating or combining particular aspects of existing ideas and collaborating and brainstorming with diverse companies, as well as constantly knowing your competitors will further ensure that companies remain desired (Sloane, 2013).

One individual who excelled in, and mastered the art of innovation, was the communication professional, Steve Jobs: CEO and visionary behind Apple’s global success (Moisescot, 2012). In 2014, CNBC named Steve Jobs the “number one most innovative and transformative business leader of the past 25 years” (Gallo, 2014). One of Jobs’ secrets to this effective innovation, having been mentioned above as the first secret of success, is passion. (Gallo, 2014). Whilst managing Apple, Jobs not only brought the company back from the brink of failure, but he also revolutionised and reinvented the way in which we communicate today (Fell, 2011). According to Michael Carrier in 2009, innovation is crucial and plays a significant role in economic growth, as clear from Jobs’ success with the iPhone.

The iPhone, which is at the core of Apple’s success, completely transformed mobile technology in the 21st Century. The device created a platform where people all over the world could connect with one button; further developing the globalisation of the world. Innovative ideas consequently give JMC professionals the ability to aid the development of media convergence, which Jobs had done through giving everybody the chance to share images, read books, watch the news and download data from the convenience of one device. Since the iPhone’s release in 2007, there have been 13 separate models of iPhone which cater for different genres in their vast target audience (Apple, 2016). This constant innovation is what makes Apple stand out from competitors and one of the most successful brands in history. Thus, by remaining innovative and always keeping in mind new possibilities, media professionals and journalists are able formulate ideas that have the potential of being desired by millions. However, without the skill of relationship building and networking, Jobs would have been incapable of synthesizing the ideas perceived by diverse groups of people, which would have greatly impacted the innovative decisions made by the company today (Mait, 2015).

Secret to Success: Networking The influence of technology has caused significant trends in media, which have inadvertently affected the way in which creative work is published and accessed. An important secret to success for media professionals in reflection of this, is the ability to network. Making oneself social in order to develop contacts, can result in potential collaborations and opportunities for success. Trends such as globalisation and media convergence impact heavily on a media professional’s ability to remain competitive, with individuals constantly utilising these trends to reach and monopolize large audiences. Therefore, networking provides an initial step in overcoming journalism and media competition, as it involves interacting at social events to develop contacts and build relationships that are mutually beneficial.

Globalisation can be explained as, “the need to move media materials to more outlets in order to increase revenues… Global consumers are a way to make audiences larger” (Turow 2011, 170).  In order to achieve globalisation of media publications, it is important to remain innovative. Innovation is a key consideration in the ability to reach large audiences through alternate platforms and outlets, and networking is an important element of the innovative process. Without networking, media professionals risk failing to reach their target audience due to not having contacts who can provide benefits. Through networking, professionals with different skills and ideas can remain in contact, and use each other as sources of information and creativity to develop new and successful ideas to reach these audiences. Media and business experts have the ability to fuel each other’s careers through collaboration with each other. Networking therefore provides the ability for professionals to develop a list of contacts that can be of great benefit in future endeavours. In order to reap these benefits, all that a professional must do, is attend industry events, meet with other business owners or simply remain social and known at locations that are popular among others within the industry.

By effectively incorporating this secret to success, media personality and fashion blogger, Nadia Fairfax, now attributes much of her success in the digitalised environment to networking. In an interview with Stravolpoulos (2015), Fairfax stated, “I credit the majority of my career to being ultra-social! I love talking to people and learning about their lives and sharing stories… One of my most important lessons would be to take time to talk to people and take interest in what they have to say”. Fairfax provides an example of how networking can fuel media professionals’ success in an industry so heavily affected by globalisation. Networking has allowed Fairfax to develop contacts, whom have collaborated with her to develop innovative creations. Therefore, in order for to overcome the surging trends in, “a world of blurred media boundaries” as stated by Turow (2011), networking will provide the initial step towards becoming an innovative and successful media professional.

In order to become a successful JMC professional, it is important to implement these three “secrets to success”. Through including passion, innovation and networking into a career, it is possible to overcome the ever-evolving trends in the JMC industries. With these three secrets, professionals will become respected, have the opportunity to build grand ideas and will develop connections with other businesses. Not being aware of secrets to success as such, could cause possible implications to success; however, by following the examples of how to achieve these successions, there is potential flourish.

References Apple. 2016. "Identify Your Iphone Model - Apple Support". Support.apple.com. Web. 27 April, 2016. https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT201296

Bassinger, Sean. 2016. "Passionate journalism still essential in society." Accessed April 20, 2016. http://www.orangemedianetwork.com/daily_barometer/passionate-journalism-still-essential-in-society/article_d4af9b3c-c63c-11e5-b04f-7b996a199920.html

Carrier, Michael A. Innovation For The 21St Century. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print. Accessed April 26, 2016.

Fell, Jason. 2011. “How Steve Jobs Saved Apple”. Web. Accessed April 27, 2016. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/220604

Gallo, Carmine. 2014. “The 7 Innovation Secrets of Steve Jobs”. Accessed April 27, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/carminegallo/2014/05/02/the-7-innovation-secrets-of-steve-jobs/#5928fe0c7fa4  

Goudreau, Jenna. 2012. "Top 10 Tips For Young Aspiring Journalists". Accessed April 16, 2016. http://www.forbes.com/sites/jennagoudreau/2012/11/09/top-10-tips-for-young-aspiring-journalists/#689b54ab38df

Gupta, Biswadeep. 2015. "Passion of a Journalist: Journalism is always done through heart and not mind". Accessed April 18, 2016. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/passion-journalist-journalism-always-done-through-heart-gupta?trkSplashRedir=true&forceNoSplash=true.  

Krumsvik, Arne H, Storsul, Tanja. 2011. Media Innovations: A Multidisciplinary Study of Change, Sweden: Nordicom. Accessed 26 April. 2016. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/270510055_Media_Innovations_A_Multidisciplinary_Study_of_Change_2013

Mait, Josh. 2015. “Steve Jobs Can Teach Us About Networking”. Web. Accessed April 27, 2016. http://news.relsci.com/blog-relsci/what-steve-jobs-can-teach-us-about-networking

Moisescot, Romain. 2012. “Steve At Work”. Web. Accessed April 27, 2016. http://allaboutstevejobs.com/persona/steveatwork.php

O'Byrne, James, Mark Schleifstein and Susan Feeney. 2007. "Journalism Driven by Passion". Accessed April 18, 2016. http://niemanreports.org/articles/journalism-driven-by-passion/

Olmeda, Rafael. 2007. "10 Qualities of a Good Journalist". Accessed April 18, 2016. http://www.worldji.com/resources/view/49

Pollard, William. 2010. “20 Business Innovation Quotes.” Web. Accessed April 28, 2016. http://www.entrepreneurshipinabox.com/978/20-quotes-business-innovation/

Sloane, Paul. 2013. “21 Great Ways To Innovate”. Web. Accessed April 28, 2016. http://www.innovationmanagement.se/imtool-articles/21-great-ways-to-innovate/

Spencer, Richard. 2016. "A journalist whose reporting was personal and passionate". Accessed April 20, 2016. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/12107776/A-journalist-whose-reporting-was-personal-and-passionate.html Stavropoulos, Amanda. 2015. “How a Successful Fashion Blogger Launched Her Career” Who What Wear, November 15. Accessed April 26 2016. http://www.whowhatwear.com.au/how-a-fashion-blogger-got-her-start/slide8

Sternberg, Jason. 2016. "KJB102 Introduction to Journalism, Media and Communication: Week 3 lecture notes". Accessed April 18, 2016. https://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?course_id=_124135_1&content_id=_6239211_1  

Tenore, Mallary Jean. 2013. "10 ways young journalists can make themselves more marketable". Accessed April 16, 2016.     http://www.poynter.org/2013/10-ways-journalists-can-make-themselves-more-marketable/198780/  

Turow, Joseph. 2011. Media Today: An Introduction to Mass Communication. New York: Routledge. Accessed April 26, 2016. http://reader.eblib.com.au/(S(yrzq5gjyulkhtoxpzmwwgm5h))/Reader.aspx?p=668383&o=96&u=9d%2bEafzVRpwXKwFp%2fZeWWg%3d%3d&t=1461631640&h=24FC67D4C5F9290ACFB9B36EBC4644EC690CFB0F&s=24603423&ut=245&pg=1&r=img&c=-1&pat=n&cms=-1&sd=1#

Yale, Information Technology Services. 2016. “What Is Innovation?”. Web.  Accessed April 26, 2016. http://its.yale.edu/about/innovation-its/what-innovation

Zeeshan, Sana. 2015. "What are the qualities required to be a good journalist?". Accessed April 16, 2016. http://socialdiary.pk/what-are-the-qualities-required-to-become-a-good-journalist/

[elenyhooijer]

Philip DeFranco

More like: Philip DeFourth Estate, Public Sphere, globalisation and convergence.

In a world being overtaken by technology, it is difficult for content creators to remain flexible and ahead of all things mainstream, in order to form a lasting career in the ever-changing media scene. One person who has successfully adapted himself to this new wave of media, as well as having aided the progress of mass media, is Philip DeFranco, the YouTube personality best known for his YouTube channel, The Philip DeFranco Show (DeFranco, 2016a). In order to reach his success, DeFranco has utilised convergence to spread his content on numerous platforms, and globalisation to distribute this content throughout the world. DeFranco has furthermore been a valued member of the Public Sphere with his ‘everyman’ demeanour and has been a crucial part of the Fourth Estate through his collaboration with ABC News, which is why I have chosen to talk about this successful, outspoken, YouTube personality (Humphrey, 2015).

DeFranco was Born on December 1st 1985 in The Bronx, New York City. Before beginning his YouTube career in 2006, DeFranco was homeless, until his father offered for him to move in, on the condition that he continues university (DeFranco, 2013). DeFranco studied at the University of South Florida, East Carolina University and Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, although realised that further studies were not something he wished to do (The Richest, 2016). Rather, DeFranco aimed to create content which would educate and entertain an audience, in a way similar to hosting his own talk show. Thus, DeFranco started his own YouTube channel, and his own, award-winning show, The Philip DeFranco Show (DeFranco, 2013). This show, portraying a 6-minute news program, features DeFranco’s personal opinions on current events, politics and pop culture, in a satirical way to engage those who are no longer interested in conventional news styles (Shapiro, 2012). Other projects DeFranco has been involved in, have ranged from YouTube videos to podcasts, which demonstrates how much the sharing of content has progressed over the years, with the use of numerous different platforms (Humphrey, 2015).

Convergence Throughout the decades, boundaries between media platforms have become blurred, as businesses and individuals now have the ability to spread content through a plethora of media forms. This process of content spreading over multiple mediums is known as convergence; with YouTube, and more specifically DeFranco, being a prime example of media fragmentation (Turow, 2011, 158). When YouTube was formed in 2005, everyone became a broadcaster in their own homes. Capturing valuable moving images of current affairs was no longer limited to just the professional news stations. Consequently, there was a complete power shift in the media when YouTube was formed, which was only further aided when popular YouTube personalities began sharing their content on other platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. (Fagerjord, 2010, 197).

Having developed over five different YouTube accounts, owning his own clothes store and maintaining an active appearance on social media websites, DeFranco has adapted media convergence to project his voice to a larger audience (DeFranco, 2016b). Without media convergence, DeFranco would have struggled to gain the 800,000 Facebook followers and over 3 million YouTube subscribers he currently possesses (Social Blade, 2016). Consequently, DeFranco has beneficially utilised media convergence to promote his videos, which has outsourced his personal views to different websites and even different countries.

Globalisation The ability for media to spread throughout the world in mere seconds, known as globalisation, is a relatively new concept, which has transpired due to the internet (Flew, 2007, 66). This speeding up and growing of the media’s impact, is evident through DeFranco’s videos and actions, as he brings the audience’s attention to the most thought-provoking news stories from all over the world. Additionally, DeFranco has toured with The DeFranco Show around America and numerous countries in Europe, with large crowds of supporters attending the live shows, proving the extent of DeFranco’s sizable fan base outside of the United States (DeFranco, 2016a). Thus, through the use of globalisation, the content that DeFranco covers in his videos has the ability to reach and educate cultures all over the globe. 

Unfortunately, there are some downsides to globalisation, such as the threat of a homogenous society being created, as everything posted on the internet is accessible and able to be adapted in almost every culture (Flew, 2007, 73). In 2012, DeFranco was approached by Google to create a new YouTube profile that would potentially bring a wider audience to the website. DeFranco, therefore, created the YouTube channel, SourceFed, where numerous, lesser-known personalities gained both popularity and the opportunity to share diverse types of content, from gaming to politics. The wide range of content that is presented to the audience through SourceFed consequently prevents cultures from becoming uniform (Roettgers, 2012). Thus, DeFranco’s career has been influenced by globalisation through his creation of the internationally known SourceFed, which has given a voice to both unfamiliar YouTube personalities, and the public (Cohen, 2012). 

Public Sphere In modern society, it is a human right for everybody to be able to present their opinion, although this was not always the case in the media. Before the 18th century, only the upper-class opinions were seen as valid, until the Public Sphere was formed (Trey, 1991, 52). The Public Sphere is an industrialised element of democracy, where all citizens are able to articulate their needs in order to create a liberal society, and has therefore given the bourgeois individuals, such as DeFranco, a political voice (McKee, 2005, 4-7).

As a journalist in his own right, DeFranco continuously touches on popular news stories in regards to politics, which has had a large influence on his viewers. His influence is so great that DeFranco, who has discussed his views on gun-control on numerous occasions, was invited to speak and raise his concerns to America’s Vice President, Joe Biden, on Barack Obama’s initiative for increased gun-control (Baker, 2012). The four bloggers selected to question Joe Biden on the slate of policy recommendations, including DeFranco, chose to ask Biden questions inspired by their online audiences (Holpuch, 2013). The decision to obtain the perspectives of individuals not part of the White House was a clear utilisation of the public sphere and a vital part of keeping a democratic government. Furthermore, DeFranco, who is known by Forbes Magazine (2015) as “YouTube’s original everyman”, continues to engage with his audience to ensure that their views are also heard, through asking them to share their points of view in the comment section. With the abundance of responses his videos receive, DeFranco has utilised the public sphere to engage bourgeois citizens in debates that form the political views, which are crucial for a functioning society (DeFranco, 2016a).

Fourth Estate Being just another 20-year-old college dropout, with the hopes of one day hosting his own talk show, it seemed very unlikely that DeFranco would ever have an impact on an audience of any size. Although, YouTube’s use of the public sphere has given individuals, including DeFranco, the capability to act as part of the Fourth Estate. The main meaning that the Fourth Estate holds in modern society is that it is a fourth branch of government, run by the press, to ensure that the government is accountable to the people (Hampton, 2009, 3-5). Exposing people to opinions unlike their own is what the Fourth Estate, and more specifically, DeFranco, aim to do. The wide range of ideas that DeFranco presents in his videos, and encourages the audience to comment on, give voters the chance to make informed decisions when it comes to federal, state and local elections (DeFranco, 2016a). 

DeFranco has been recognised as a vital part of the Fourth Estate after being requested to join ABC News with the YouTube Election Hub in 2012. This project covered key moments that shaped the 2012 election cycle in the United States, and aimed to “provide users with the information they need to make an informed, clear choice on Election Day.” After having reported controversial political affairs, and being named one of the “most trusted names in news” by the ABC News (2012), it is clear as to why DeFranco was chosen to be a part of this election news coverage (Enberg, 2012). Thus, DeFranco has made an impact in society, as a member of the Fourth Estate, which is why I have chosen him to write this biography about him.

By possessing the ability to present his own, valid opinion in a way that people trust and admire, DeFranco is my personal role model. Through his witty arguments, DeFranco is able to turn dry topics such as gun control, bullying and human rights into entertaining topics of conversation for the whole family at dinner (Shapiro, 2012). Being able to have such a strong impact on the YouTube community through entertainment and education is something that I aspire to accomplish in the future, which is why I see DeFranco as such a strong figure. DeFranco (2016c) is aware that there is no way to avoid alienation in his videos; although he cleverly reminds the audience that everything he discusses is his own point of view by stating, “That’s the beauty of this show, we can disagree and talk about it” at the end of a video. With his integrity, perseverance and wit, DeFranco is the kind of authentic media professional, which I aspire to become.

DeFranco has successfully created a career in the growing media market through his utilisation of numerous media platforms throughout the world. Therefore, DeFranco owes his success to the convergence and globalisation of media, which provided the opportunity to positively impact society with his own views on widespread topics. Having been granted the chance to aid voters’ opinions whilst being another typical 20-year-old, DeFranco has been a valued part of the Public Sphere and the Fourth Estate. Consequently, through his adaptation of the new media industry, DeFranco is an honourable role model for those aiming to enter the media profession.

References

Baker, Peter., 2012. "Biden Pushes Gun Control Proposals in 'Fireside Hangout'" Accessed March 20, 2016.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/biden-pushes-gun-control-proposals-in-fireside-hangout/?_r=0

Cohen, Joshua., 2012. "Is ‘SourceFed’ ‘The Daily Show’ for the YouTube Generation?" Accessed March 22, 2016.               http://www.tubefilter.com/2012/01/26/phil-defranco-sourcefed/

DeFranco, Philip., 2013. "DRAW MY LIFE - Philip DeFranco" YouTube video, posted April 10. Accessed March 22, 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyXpiRaF2Pw

DeFranco, Philip., 2016a. "Philip DeFranco" Accessed March 15, 2016.               https://www.youtube.com/user/sxephil/featured

DeFranco, Philip., 2016b. "Everything DeFranco" Accessed March 17, 2016. http://www.phillyd.tv/

DeFranco, Philip., 2016c. "THESE FREAKOUTS ARE GETTING RIDICULOUS! Come on…" YouTube video, posted March 17. Accessed March, 17 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXvMS1c7f40

Enberg, Nicole., 2012. "YouTube Launches New "Election Hub" Channel with ABC News Digital and Other News Partners" Accessed March 26, 2016. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/08/youtube-launches-new-election-hub-channel-with-abc-news-digital-and-other-news-partners/

Fagerjord, Anders. 2010. "After convergence: YouTube and remix culture". In International Handbook of Internet Research, 187-200. Netherlands: Springer.

Flew, Terry. 2007. "Chapter 3: Globalization and Global Media Corporations". In Understanding global media, 66-97. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

Hampton, Mark. 2009. "The Fourth Estate Ideal in Journalism History". In The Routledge Companion to News and Journalism, edited by Stewart Allen, 3-12. New York: Routledge.

Holpuch, Amanda., 2013. "Joe Biden hosts Google+ 'fireside chat' to discuss Obama gun control effort" Accessed March 22, 2016. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/24/joe-biden-google-fireside-chat

Humphrey, Michael., 2015. "Philip DeFranco: YouTube's Original Everyman Is Growing On His Terms" Accessed March 17, 2016.                            http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelhumphrey/2015/08/26/philip-defranco-youtubes-original-everyman-is-growing-on-his-terms/#44ed52f125e9

McKee, Alan. 2005. "Introduction". In The public sphere: an introduction, 1-31. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 

Roettgers, Janko., 2012. "How Phil DeFranco plans to save YouTube. Accessed March 22, 2016. https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/phil-defranco-plans-save-youtube-120046571.html

Shapiro, Evan., 2012. "We Have Watched 2,100 Years of 'Gangnam Style'" Accessed March 22, 2016. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/evan-shapiro/gangnam-style_b_1923147.html

Social Blade, 2016. "Philip DeFranco" Accessed March 20, 2016. http://socialblade.com/youtube/user/sxephil

The Richest, 2016. "Philip DeFranco Net Worth" Accessed March 16, 2016 http://www.therichest.com/celebnetworth/celeb/philip-defranco-net-worth/

Trey, George. 1991. "Social Structures of the Public Sphere". In The structural transformation of the public sphere: An inquiry into a category of bourgeois society, 43-56. Massachusetts: MIT Press.

Turow, Joseph. 2011. "A World of Blurred Media Boundaries". In Media Today : An Introduction to Mass Communication, 158-191. New York: Routledge.