Public Engagement Model to Analyze Digital Diplomacy on Twitter: A Social Media Analytics Framework

Authors

  • M. Laeeq Khan Ohio University
  • Muhammad Ittefaq University of Kansas
  • Yadira Ixchel Martínez Pantoja Auckland University of Technology
  • Muhammad Mustafa Raziq National University of Sciences and Technology
  • Aqdas Malik Sultan Qaboos University

Keywords:

digital diplomacy, Germany, Pakistan, public engagement model, SentiStrength, NVivo, text analytics

Abstract

Social media’s pervasiveness has created new demands for openness, transparency, real-time communication, and public engagement in diplomacy. In this study, we analyze public engagement strategies for diplomacy on Twitter that were employed by a German ambassador. By applying a text analytics approach, we explored the ambassador’s tweets’ core themes, how people reacted to those tweets, and what type of topics received higher engagement for 2 years. Eight themes emerged from our analysis of the tweets: democracy, politics and law; society and culture; conflict and violence; personality; environment and health; economic and social development; personal life; and embassy affairs. By analyzing the tweets’ content, we present a public engagement model (PEM) for social media communication by highlighting 3 key factors that promote online public engagement: self-disclosure, positive attitude, and inquisitiveness. Results suggest that over 2 years, the German ambassador was a highly engaging personality in Pakistan, with around 4,369 interactions and highlighted positive diplomatic communication on Twitter. Tweets were positive, courteous, respectful, personalized, interactive, and direct.

Author Biographies

M. Laeeq Khan, Ohio University

Dr. M. Laeeq Khan is a faculty in the School of Media Arts & Studies at Ohio University. He is also the Director of the Social Media Analytics lab at Scripps College of Communication. He has a diverse educational background with an MS in Telecommunications Systems Management and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA). He received his PhD in Media & Information Studies from Michigan State University.His teaching experience is international and spans several years. In 2012, he was conferred with an award of teaching excellence–AT&T Faculty and Staff Instructional Technology Award. Prior to joining Ohio University, Dr. Khan served as an Assistant Professor at the American University in the UAE, where he helped establish a communication program and led efforts in creating a media lab. He has extensive professional experience as a social media strategist consulting for various organizations.Dr. Khan's expertise is social media and analytics with a focus on analyzing big data and social media for businesses, health communications, politics and a range of other areas. In addition, he studies international development and communication issues by looking at international media systems and how media are being used across the world. His research concentrates on user engagement focusing on social media use for business, learning, and public relations. Dr. Khan has published in major refereed journals of international repute, authored book chapters, and presented at prominent conferences in the field of media, communication, and information systems. He has also worked on various funded research projects from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Muhammad Ittefaq, University of Kansas

Muhammad Ittefaq is a PhD student at William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Kansas, United States. He received his MA in Media and Communication Science from the Institute of Media and Communication Science, Technical University of Ilmenau, Germany. His research interests are social media and new technology, Global South, health communication, and digital diplomacy. His work has been published in Journal of Media Ethics, Sage Open, Journal of Contemporary Eastern Asia, and Digital Health. ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5334-7567 Twitter Handle: @IttefaqM, Email: ittefaqmuhammad1@gmail.com

Yadira Ixchel Martínez Pantoja, Auckland University of Technology

Yadira Ixchel Martínez Pantoja holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Auckland.  She is a lecturer and a graduate teaching assistant in the School of Social Sciences and Public Policy at Auckland University of Technology (AUT), New Zealand.  Her research focuses on public diplomacy and strategic communications, the interactions between multinational corporations, non-governmental organizations, and governments, and state and non-state actors, with particular interest in business diplomacy, corporate social responsibility, and nation branding. Email: ymar183@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Muhammad Mustafa Raziq, National University of Sciences and Technology

Muhammad Mustafa Raziq is Associate Professor at the National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan. He has a PhD in Strategy from Massey University, New Zealand. His research interests range from strategy and management in organizations to social media and marketing. His research has appeared in reputed journals, such as International Business Review, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Leadership and Organization Development Journal, Marketing Intelligence and Planning, and International Journal of Innovation Management. Email: mustafa.raziq@nbs.nust.edu.pk

Aqdas Malik, Sultan Qaboos University

Dr. Aqdas Malik is an Assistant Professor at Sultan Qaboos University, Oman. Dr. Malik has over 10 years of multidisciplinary Information Systems teaching and research experience in academia and industry. His expertise spans two key disciplines: Digital media communication & analytics and Human-Computer Interaction. He has developed and taught graduate-level courses including Social media analytics, Interaction Design, and Usability evaluation (Aalto University, Finland), Social media research methods (George Mason University, USA), and Gamification (Tampere University, Finland). In order to support his teaching, he has also completed my pedagogical training at Aalto University. Moreover, he has successfully completed a number of research projects funded by the National Science Foundation, USA, and Academy of Finland. By applying multiple research methods, he actively probes emerging media engagement and interaction among public and niche communities within education, activism, entertainment, and health domains. His research work has been published in a variety of prestigious venues including the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, Telematics and Informatics, American Journal of Health Behavior, and Journal of Information, Communication & Ethics in Society.

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Published

2021-03-27

Issue

Vol. 15 (2021)

Section

Articles

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