Bridges, Bonding, Politics, & Communities in Crisis - 10/4/07

This week’s readings in Society Online examine how organizations with diverse interests utilize the Internet to fulfill their needs in specific situations. The studies included reveal some consistent trends in motives for usage, and some specific examples of why gaps in communication exist on the Internet. Other studies examine the use of the Internet in the political communication context, as well as in the crisis communication context.

Norris (2004) examined the role that the Internet plays in bridging gaps in communication between people of different backgrounds and viewpoints, as well as how it provides a means of helping people with similar backgrounds and interests bond. The findings indicate that the Internet is successful at providing likeminded people with a vehicle for bonding, but is not helpful in bridging the gaps in dialogue between people of different backgrounds and points of view.

Larsen (2004) examined how individuals use the Internet in practicing religion. The findings indicate a strong use for research and offering advice and support to other members in their faith. Similar to the Norris (2004) study, we see a trend that indicates that the Internet works well to strengthen the congregations of churches, but not in opening dialogue between different congregations.

The findings of both studies are indicative of the idea that we are less likely to participate in conversations in uncomfortable environments, whether interpersonally or in an Internet-based context. Perhaps this early scholarship on community building using the Internet could help address why the Internet is becoming particularly useful in political campaigns. Web sites seem quite successful at building vertical consensus on issues, but not in bridging gaps between organizations with different viewpoints. This Internet use seems effective for political parties.

Rice and Katz (2004) examine how the Internet is playing a role in enhancing political engagement in the 1996 and 2000 presidential campaigns. Current uses seem to support where they suggested Internet use would head. A simple examination of the Democratic party’s Web site (http://www.democrats.org/) provides the viewer with access to news and talking points on a variety of issues, the latest campaign and political news, the means to financially contribute, and the ability to search for local organizations that fit their needs.

An examination of the Republican party’s Web site (http://www.gop.com/) begins with a means to sign up as a member of the party, and then takes you to a Web site that provides many of the same features, but also gives the consumer some other interesting opportunities to engage, including a Spanish-language page, the ability to join the RNC’s “Official Facebook Group,” and links that allow readers to write their legislators on issues directly. I would speculate similar avenues for participation are available on individual candidate Web sites as well.

In a study that was a little out in this section, but interesting because of recent personal experiences, Schneider and Foot (2004) examined the role of organization and company Web sites in providing crisis communication to their publics. An allusion to Internet use immediately following the 9/11 attacks prompted me to consider similar Web use following the April 16th shootings at Virginia Tech.

Within the University community, my friends and I used Facebook extensively to get updates on friends (http://lsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2472900651), to mourn mutual friends lost in the shooting (http://lsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2350888467), or to discuss specific issues relating to the aftermath (http://lsu.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2323364268). In addition to these issues, we also made use of peoples’ individual pages to ask about them as well.

From the organizational perspective, Virginia Tech was diligent in presenting a strong crisis communication strategy to the public on its Web page (http://www.vt.edu/remember/), as well as its affiliate Web pages (http://www.hokiesports.com/). The Internet does serve as an effective means of communication in times of crisis both within an organization and external of it, as Scheider and Foot (2004) illustrate.