Reading Instagram Posts of Environmental Nongovernmental Organizations in the Context of Dialogic Principles and Public Relations Models
Mine Yeniçeri Alemdar, Celal KocaömerThe Web 2.0 technology structure that activates users paved the way for the “direction of communication, interaction, dialogue” of discussions in the public relations literature. Examining the concept of dialogue specifically for NGOs may be important in terms of developing social media usage. As a social media platform, Instagram is not adequately addressed in the literature in terms of dialogic principles. For this reason, the aim of this study is to determine how environmental NGOs use the principles of dialogic communication, public relations models, and interactivity in their Instagram posts. It is found that the most popular environmental NGOs are TEMA, Greenpeace, and WWF, and their posts have been evaluated through content analysis. In the process, their posts have been examined according to Kent & Taylor’s dialogic principles. In addition, the categorization and ratio calculations have been made according to Grunig & Hunt’s four models of public relations, and interaction rates have been calculated according to Avidar’s responsiveness pyramid. Findings suggest that environmental NGOs use Instagram by reflecting dialogic communication principles. For public relations models, being asymmetrical with a high frequency and weakness of interaction ratios begs the question: can dialogic principles be performed by a onesided information flow and low interaction?
Çevreci Sivil Toplum Kuruluşlarının Instagram Paylaşımlarını Diyalogsal İlkeler ve Halkla İlişkiler Modelleri Bağlamında Okumak
Mine Yeniçeri Alemdar, Celal KocaömerWeb 2.0 teknolojisinin kullanıcıları aktifleştiren yapısı halkla ilişkiler alan yazınında “iletişimin yönü, etkileşim, diyalog” tartışmalarına zemin hazırlamıştır. Diyalog kavramının STK’lar özelinde incelenmesi ise sosyal medya kullanımlarını geliştirme noktasında önemlidir. Sosyal medya platformu Instagram, alan yazında diyalogsal ilkeler özelinde yeterince ele alınmamaktadır. Bu nedenle çalışma, çevreci STK’ların Instagram içeriklerindeki diyalogsal iletişim ilkelerini, halkla ilişkiler modellerini ve etkileşimi anlama çabasındadır. Instagram üzerinde en fazla takipçiye sahip üç çevreci STK olan; TEMA, Greenpeace ve WWF’nin paylaşımları; içerik analizi tekniği ile değerlendirilmektedir. Bu süreçte paylaşımlar; Kent ve Taylor tarafından belirlenen diyologsal ilkeler ışığında irdelenmekte, Grunig ve Hunt tarafından sunulan halkla ilişkilerin 4 modeline göre kategorileştirilmekte ve Avidar’ın yanıt piramidine göre etkileşim oranları hesaplanmaktadır. Bulgular, çevreci STK’ların Instagramı diyalogsal iletişim ilkelerini yansıtacak şekilde kullandığı yönündedir. Halkla ilişkiler modelleri açısından değerlendirildiğinde ise en çok kamuoyu bilgilendirme modeli kullanılmştır. Halkla ilişkiler modelleri arasından asimetrik bir modelin en yüksek frekansa sahip olması, ayrıca etkileşim oranlarının zayıflığı, bilgi akışının yönüne (STK’lardan kullanıcılara yönelik) ilişkin “tek yönlü bilgi akışı ve zayıf etkileşim ile diyalogsal ilkeler yerine getirilebilir mi?” sorusunun düşünülmesi gerektiğini ortaya koymaktadır.
Studies in the literature show how public relations models (Alemdar, Elgün, & Maden, 2018; Beverly, 2013; Grunig, Grunig, Sriramesh, Huang, & Lyra, 1995; Grunig & Hunt, 1984; Waters & Jamal, 2011;) and dialogic communication (Arslan, 2019; Bortree & Seltzer, 2009; Eray, 2016; Kent, & Taylor, 1998; Köseoğlu & Köker, 2014; Linvill, McGee, & Hicks, 2012; McAllister, 2013; Rybalko & Seltzer, 2010; Taylor, Kent, & White, 2001) are used in the new media. One social media platform, namely Instagram, is not adequately addressed in the field of literature in terms of dialogic communication and public relations models. In the literature, only one study (Beverly, 2013) examining public relations models and dialogic communication was found.
For this reason, this study aims to create a literature-based structure-code sheet that would allow the analysis of Instagram posts within the context of dialogic principles and public relations models, to compare these structures and to prepare the ground for future research. It aims to determine how environmental NGOs use the principles of dialogic communication and public relations models in their Instagram content. In this context, the research questions of this study are as follows:
Research Question 1: How do environmental NGOs use Instagram in terms of technical and design cluster?
Research Question 2: How do environmental NGOs use Instagram in terms of dialogic cluster?
Research Question 3: Which public relations models do environmental NGOs use on Instagram?
Research Question 4: How do environmental NGOs use Instagram’s interaction feature?
To answer the research questions, this study analyzes the Instagram profiles, feed posts, and stories of TEMA, Greenpeace, and WWF within the framework of two clusters (technical and design cluster, dialogic cluster) with the principles of dialogic communication. Furthermore, it codes the Instagram feed posts and stories of these three NGOs within the scope of public relations models. Finally, it emphasizes the direction of communication, which depends on how environmental NGOs respond to Instagram comments, and analyzes the feed posts and stories (photo+story+comment) through content analysis.
To briefly address the findings obtained within the scope of the study, TEMA, Greenpeace Turkey, and WWF Turkey are found to respectively cover Instagram in terms of technical and design cluster at 92%, 84%, and 88% rates (RQ1). As a result, it can be concluded that the three environmental NGOs use Instagram sufficiently based on the scores obtained in terms of technical and design cluster. TEMA, Greenpeace Turkey, and WWF Turkey are found to respectively cover Instagram in terms of dialogic cluster at 57%, 67%, and 71% rates (RQ2). Consequently, it is argued that the three environmental NGOs use of Instagram is partly effective in terms of dialogic cluster, and it should be improved. To answer Research Question 3, the rate of using public relations models in posts is decisive, and public information model is most commonly used in TEMA and WWF Turkey’s content. Greenpeace Turkey, on the other hand, uses the two-way asymmetrical model and public information model equally, and TEMA and WWF Turkey’s second most commonly used model is the two-way asymmetrical one. The usage rates of the press agentry and the two-way symmetrical model for three NGOs are lower than the other models.
To answer Research Question 4, Instagram comments are examined. NGOs’ ability to respond to comments made to them is revealed. It is evident that TEMA, Greenpeace Turkey, and WWF Turkey respond to comments with both likes and explanations. During the examined period, TEMA responded to 19 out of 1219 comments received from 60 feed posts and liked 19 comments; Greenpeace Turkey responded 13 out of 1945 comments received from 49 feed posts and liked two comments; and WWF Turkey responded 28 out of 656 comments received from 32 feed posts and liked 187 comments. NGOs’ responsiveness and interaction elements result in “low-level responsiveness,” and it is observed that the interaction elements were not actively used.
In light of the above information, it is seen that NGOs have used Instagram effectively in terms of dialogic communication. Although the evaluated feed posts and stories were found to be sufficient for the formation of dialogic communication, when analyzed in terms of public relations models, it was determined that they rely on a one-way communication structure aimed at informing the public rather than two-way, dialoguebased communication. Although the necessary dialogical cluster items are included in the feed posts and stories in order to ensure dialogic communication, this study finds that the asymmetric model has the highest frequency and weakness of interaction rates among the public relations models. Regarding the direction of information flow (from NGOs to users), it raises the following question: can dialogic principles be fulfilled with a one-way information flow?