Sevin, Efe

Permanent URI for this collection

http://hdl.handle.net/11603/33673

Browse

Now showing 1 - 8 of 8

Key Influencers in public diplomacy 2.0: A Country-based social network analysis
(SAGE, 2021-01-20) Sevin, Efe; Ingenhoff, Diana; Calamai, Giada; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
This article presents a study of Twitter-based communication in order to identify key influencers and to assess the role of their communication in shaping country images. The analysis is based on a 2-month dataset comprised of all tweets including hashtags of the three countries selected for this study: Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Following a two-step flow model of communication, we initially identified the influential Twitter users in all three countries based on their centrality measures. Subsequently, we carried out a qualitative content analysis of tweets posted by these influential users. Finally, we assessed the similarities and differences across the three country cases. This article offers new insights into public diplomacy 2.0 activities by discussing influence within the context of country images and demonstrating how opinion leaders can play a more dominant role than states or other political actors in creating and disseminating content related to country image. The findings also provide practical insights in the production of a country’s image and its representation on new media platforms.
A new China: Media portrayal of Chinese mega-cities
(Palgrave Macmillan, 2015-07-22) Sevin, Efe; Björner, Emma; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
During the last two decades, China has started to leave its closed-door policies in the international arena behind, and has shown signs of participating in the global economy. Politically and economically, China has been developing further relations with the rest of the world. The country points to its mega-cities in its official 5-year plans to facilitate and execute the outreach attempts. In this article, we analyze the media representations of two of these mega-cities – Beijing and Shenzhen – with the objective of understanding how their brand images are portrayed and whether these portrayals are in line with the Chinese objectives. We focus on the media representations by arguing that international print media is a crucial platform that has the potential to influence the brand reception of audiences. Consequently, we analyze the volume and subject of Beijing and Shenzhen in English language Chinese and international print media outlets. We evaluate the coverage through a place branding framework. The findings of this research suggest the low-level and narrow coverage of the print media hinders the potential of these cities to become world-renowned centers and help facilitate Chinese interaction with the rest of the world.
Public diplomacy on social media: Analyzing networks and content
(University of Southern California, 2018) Sevin, Efe; Ingenhoff, Diana; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
Measurement has been and still is a challenging issue in the practice and study of public diplomacy. In this article, we propose a model to assess the impacts of public diplomacy projects by creating a link between social media communication campaigns and the perception of nations by audiences—or nation brands. We demonstrate how the model can be used to analyze the digital communication projects of four countries: Australia, Belgium, New Zealand, and Switzerland. Using data sets composed of tweets sent by and about four countries, we focus on the messages crafted by both official public diplomacy projects and nonstate users, and on the relations established as a result.
The Scholarship of public diplomacy: Analysis of a growing field
(University of Southern California, 2019) Sevin, Efe; Metzgar, Emily T.; Hayden, Craig; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
Public diplomacy is a fast-growing area of study with little agreement on its boundaries. In support of the subject’s development as a field of academic inquiry, we present a content analysis of English-language peer-reviewed articles on public diplomacy since 1965 (N = 2,124). We begin with analysis of bibliographic data to establish the field’s institutional boundaries by highlighting trends in scholarship over time and identifying prominent disciplines and journals. We then sketch the field’s conceptual boundaries by analyzing the concepts and topics that appear most in the literature. This process allows us to characterize decades of scholarship on public diplomacy and offer recommendations for future work.
Do Foreigners Count? Internationalization of Presidential Campaigns
(SAGE, 2017-03-24) Sevin, Efe; Uzunoğlu, Sarphan; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
The U.S. presidential elections always attract the attention of foreign audiences—who, despite not being able to vote, choose to follow the campaigns closely. For a post that is colloquially dubbed as the “Leader of the Free World,” it is not unexpected to see such an interest coming from nonvoters. Mimicking almost hosting a megaevent, the elections increase the media coverage on the United States, thus making the elections a platform to communicate with the rest of the world and to influence the reputation of the country, or its nation brand. This study postulates that the increasing adoption of social media by campaigns as well as ordinary users, increase the symbolic importance of presidential elections for foreign audiences in two ways. First, foreign audiences no longer passively follow the campaign but rather present their input to sway the American public opinion through social media campaigns. Second, foreign audiences are exposed to a variety of messages ranging from official campaigns to late-night comedy shows to local grassroots movements. The audiences both enjoy a more in-depth understanding of the elections campaigns and are exposed to alternative political views. In this study, the 2016 U.S. presidential elections are positioned as a megaevent that can influence the American nation brand. Through a comparative content and network analyses of messages disseminated over social media in the United Kingdom, Turkey, Canada, and Venezuela, the nation branding– related impacts of election campaigns are investigated.
A quest for soft power: Turkey and the Syrian refugee crisis
(Emerald, 2017-11-06) Sevin, Efe; Cevik, Senem; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring a communication management perspective to how nations might use their involvement in humanitarian responses to refugee crisis in attempts to improve their global standing through a case study of Turkish efforts during the Syrian Civil War. Design/methodology/approach – In order to assess the context of Turkey’s attempts to communicate its humanitarian response to the Syrian refugee crisis and its political discourse, the authors use a two-level analysis. The authors utilize a framing analysis and the informational framework of public diplomacy. The authors conduct a framing analysis of 14 speeches delivered by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavusoglu at various international platforms in order to determine the frames and the information frame strategies employed. The authors investigate how Turkey managed its communication efforts and the ways in which the frames are used to reflect Turkey’s nation brand. Findings – The analysis indicates that Turkey uses three frames: benevolent country, righteous side, and global power. These frames indicate that Turkey sees the refugee crisis as a problem resulting from the inefficiency of the international community and presents the “Turkish model” as the benevolent and righteous example to overcome these inefficiencies. Based on the information framework strategies used, it can be argued that the positive impact of these frames on the Turkish brand will be limited to certain audiences mainly due to the communication priorities of the country. Originality/value – This study provides a novel communication management outlook on humanitarian aid and public diplomacy through an analysis of Turkey as an illustrative case exemplifying communication of development. This study also demonstrates a framework to assess the communication management strategies of other nations that are encountering global refugee crisis and similar humanitarian relief efforts.
A Multilayered Approach to Public Diplomacy Evaluation: Pathways of Connection
(Wiley, 2017-10-26) Sevin, Efe; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
This article presents a multilayered framework, called pathways of connection, as an approach to public diplomacy evaluation. It is well established both in the study and practice of public diplomacy that evaluation is a daunting task, mostly due to the complex and convoluted nature of the concept. To overcome such obstacles, the proposed framework first defines public diplomacy as a foreign policy tool. This definition is then used to state that the only success criterion for a public diplomacy project is its contribution to advancing national interests, regardless of the type of the project or the practitioner country. Second, three layers on which the outcomes of public diplomacy projects can be observed are described by incorporating mainstream international relations theories in the practice of public diplomacy. Third, pathways of connection are introduced to explain how the changes in target audiences contribute to the advancement of national interests.
Capturing country images: a methodological approach
(Taylor & Francis, 2021-03-26) Sevin, Efe; Ayhan, Kadir Jun; Ingenhoff, Diana; Towson University. Department of Mass Communication
Country images have been notoriously difficult to capture and measure effectively. In this article, we propose a methodological approach that combines designed and found data to capture public attitudes. We demonstrate how a mixed-method design with survey data and digital data – namely tweets and Google Trends – make it possible to better capture what target audiences think about a country. We make the case for such a combination by highlighting three aspects of country images. First, to understand what different types of public think about a country, we need to listen to different voices, and complement standardised public opinion survey data with open questions and digital data. Second, social media platforms are invaluable data resources as well as outlets that people on social media turn to for news and information. Last, digital data is unique and powerful, but difficult to analyse and interpret to create value for developing strategic communication policies. Public opinion survey data can help structure digital data and link both outcomes with each other. We support our methodological arguments through an illustrative study of the South Korean country image. We conclude our article by presenting a roadmap for multi-method analysis.

Browse

Recent Submissions