Social media has dominated the 21st century with the main intention to keep individuals connected regardless of the difference in geographical locations. Some of the notable social media accounts include Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (Landy and Conte, 2016). Personally, Twitter is my most preferred social media. The social media tend to accommodate all forms of interaction due to different methods of communication. It is possible to crack jokes using memes while at the same time individuals can access important information like breaking news, quick alerts and trending issues (Landy and Conte, 2016). I mostly use Twitter for the purpose of communication with individual whom we share same ideologies and getting information especially trending news. Although I do not use twitter often, I am fond of interacting with several important networked publics, i.e., Oprah Winfrey and Simon Cowell.
The first networked public to be analyzed will be Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is an American talk show host, philanthropist, actress, and media executive. The public figure is famous for her talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, which boasts of being the highest-rated television program in history and got syndicated in Chicago between 1986 and 2011 (Wilkins, 2015). On the other hand, Simon Cowell is an A"R executive, A judge at the English television music and talent competition, television personality, and entrepreneur (Wilkins, 2015). This case discusses the cultures of the mentioned public figures and their relevance to my life, as well as develop an assumed interaction of myself before the emergence of social media.
Cultures of These Publics
Oprah’s culture is centered at giving hope to the hopeless and the less fortunate within the society. This is influenced by the rough past that Oprah faced while growing up. As a result, Oprah took it upon herself to always strive to make the life of young girls and young women a reason not to give up. Oprah is an important figure in my life because I relate perfectly to most of her sentiments and life experiences. In fact, whenever I feel like giving up, listening or watching Oprah live on television does give me a sense of motivation to persevere. While at the Smithsonian museum exhibition, Oprah Winfrey cried after she found out that a journalist had written “watching Oprah every day is the reason I love myself so fiercely” as his remarks. Oprah felt she had fulfilled part of her mission which is to encourage people not give up hope regardless of the challenges they are facing.
Since time immemorial, Oprah has been at the frontline of empowering individuals especially girls and women. Being an influential member of the society, Oprah comes across many individuals from all walks of life with near death experience. As a result, Oprah is dedicated to giving attention to such individuals and encourages them to persevere until they go through the tunnel of light. Oprah ensures she empowers females not limit their potential and is committed to motivating people to reach their goals.
The second networked public is Simon Phillip Cowell. Cowell is famous for her blatant and controversial comments when serving in the role of a judge. The iconic figure is fond of using wisecracks and insults when talking to contestants (Jenkins, Ford " Green 2018). Despite the above remarks, Cowell is an individual who is best known for being straightforward. Cowell’s culture of being straightforward and speaking one’s mind is a crucial element in life.
The culture of speaking one’s mind is important in my life since it allows me to be open to other as well as to get the real perception of what others think hence allowing them to either act or ignore the sentiments by Cowell (Jenkins, Ford, Green, 2018). Cowell is also known for the culture of empowering the community and providing support whenever necessary. This was evident in his last commitment towards helping individuals who had been affected by the fire at Grenfell.
Similar Publics in History
While Oprah and Cowell exist in modern society, there have been several great motivators and human rights activists in history. Just like Oprah, Malcolm X was committed to empowering the oppressed as well as fighting for their rights. Malcolm lived between 1925 and 1965. Social media did not exist during that era. Therefore, the preferred form of communication would either be through a letter or telephone.
In the case of the letter, an individual in history would be required to draft a letter and mail it to their intended recipient. He/she would then wait for feedback from the letter’s recipient. An instance of such communication occurred when Malcolm X sent Elijah Muhammad a letter of appreciation. In the case of the phone, the individual would first ring an operator’s room, give an address of the person that he/she is calling and wait for the operator to connect the two.
Analysis
This section will be analyzing two quotes independently. The quotes will be assessed to understand their context as well as my personal opinion of the post based on my understanding of Oprah’s group. Additionally, the section will expound on personalities with whom the post was shared with, the origin of the post, whether the post was public and individuals who interacted with the post.
Analysis of Post One (Oprah Winfrey)
The first post to be analyzed will be Oprah’s quote posted on her twitter fan page on Nov 15, which reads “Michelle, I never thought of it that way before, but I couldn’t agree more. You’ve shown us that there’s not just ONE thing we can be when we “grow up.” We’ve never fully arrived…we’re always evolving, always BECOMING. Watch our sit-down TONIGHT at 8/7c on OWN. #IAMBECOMING” A deeper analysis brings out a large number of definitions that can be derived from the post. First, the denotative meaning is the support given to Michelle by Oprah through a Twitters handle as she was launching her recent book.
However, a deeper analysis of the post shows that even though Oprah knows she is a renowned individual, she is committed to standing by any lady who is committed to empowering women. The second meaning is shown as Oprah acknowledges that despite people admiring for her knowledge, there is always something to learn from others regardless of social status. These characters are responsible for shaping her (Oprah’s) culture. The action encourages individuals to always speak their mind whenever possible. The result has been fruitful as Oprah has gathered a great number of fanbase. The post had been shared by Michelle Obama as she encourages females to strive to achieve their desires in life regardless of the changes they are facing. The shared post was public and was also shared by Ellen DeGeneres as they were signing autographs while helping promote Michelle’s book.
The post was first created by former first lady Michelle Obama as she was launching her book I am Becoming. The book is focused on empowering women to become great by not limiting their potential. Oprah being an influential member of the society and a motivator, she decided to inform the masses about the essence of Michelle’s book through tweeting the hashtag I am becoming. Michelle was the original source of the post/hashtag I am becoming. However, there are many women both public and private who shared the post, which was public.
Analysis of Post 2 (Oprah Winfrey)
The second post for analysis was posted on November 14, stating “Hey Chicago! I'm sitting down with @MichelleObama tonight to kick off her #IAmBecoming book tour. Tweet at me a question about her memoir, and I might ask it during the show!” (Oprah, 2018). The post is about the next show which was to be held at the Oprah Winfrey’s Talk Show. The post implies that Oprah’s next talk show would be discussing the book I Am Becoming written by Michelle Obama. The intention of the show was to allow an individual to get to understand much about the book as well as the get the opinion of different individuals concerning the book. The audience of the post includes Oprah’s and Michell followers as well as individuals who find the book interesting.
Analysis of My post (Oprah Winfrey)
Oprah’s post that I shared states “Can you believe it? Halloween is behind us. Elections have passed " we're into “the most wonderful time of the year”! I’ve been busy curating delights for foodies, fashionistas, techies, EVERYBODY! Please enjoy more than a few of my Faaaavorite Things. http://OprahMag.com/favorite-things.” (Oprah, 2018). The post was not shared but concerns Halloween, which is a celebration held on 31st October and conducted by numerous countries. Oprah comes up with the post to show her support as well as to acknowledge she is part of those who celebrate the controversial holiday.
Through the post, Oprah communicates the essence of celebrating life as well as to inform the public about her activities in preparation for Halloween. Additionally, Oprah advertises the products meant for the Halloween festivities. A deeper meaning from the post involves creating time to enjoy the happy moment in life regardless of the busy schedule in human’s daily activity.
When I shared the post, I opted to classify it as public since I wanted it to reach the highest number of audience possible regardless of our friendship on Twitter. I chose to share the post because I am an ardent fan of Halloween since I was young. Seeing the post made by Oprah convinced me that, even though the practice is controversial across the nation, the essence of the holiday was not wrong rather it is misinformed. Individuals who retweeted and share the post from my timeline were family members. This could be attributed to the fact that Halloween is a holiday celebrated by the entire household for as long as I can remember. The source of the post was Oprah, and it was shared by many.
Findings about Sharing in Oprah Winfrey
From the post shared, it is true that Oprah has developed an amazing culture focusing on living a positive life. This is evident as she plays a role in marketing. Michele’s book reach the highest number of people, especially women. Considering that the book encourages women to empower themselves rather than wait for others, it is reasonable to understand why Oprah took such an initiative. Being a female, Oprah appears to understand the challenges faced by females hence is committed to helping them overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
Additionally, despite having a busy schedule because of the nature of her work, Oprah still finds time to engage in activities she loves evident by her celebration of Halloween. The action serves as a message on how individuals are supposed to leave. That involves appreciating the goodness of life regardless of the perception of others.
Simon Cowell
Analysis of Post One (Simon Cowell)
An idle post shared by another person was made by Cowell on 20th June stating “As well as buying the single, we hope people can support those affected by the Grenfell fire by donating. Artistfogrenfell.com” (SimonCowell 2017). The post on Cowell’s page was to encourage his huge number of follower and any individual who will get to read the post to offer support for victims of the Grenfell fire through donations. The post is an illustration of Cowell’s culture of helping others whenever necessary. Cowell has a massive number of followers on his Twitter page. Even though not everyone might be in a position to help, it is always believed that among the huge number of followers, if members get to contribute the little or much that they can, it goes a long way to change the final quantity of the contributions.
This post clearly portrays Cowell’s attachment and commitment to the society. Cowell is aware of his influential power among his fan base. Even though Cowell may choose not to request his fan base for the favor, he understands that his opinion might encourage several or even the entire members to offer support. Furthermore, the post also signifies that even though Cowell’s comments during the talented show tend to sound rude, deep within he cares for members of the society and does not mind using his advantages to help make the society a better place. The post was shared by victims of Grenfell fire and was shared by a good number of high-profile individuals so that it gets to reach any individual who might want to help the victims.
Analysis of Post 2 (Simon Cowell)
The second post shared by Cowell was on 16 Jun and states “We hope to confirm a record tomorrow which will raise some money for the many people affected by this tragedy. Making calls tonight” (SimonCowell 2017). The post was created to notify the public of a new record, which was to be released urgently for the sake of accumulating enough funds to assist victims of Grenfell fire. A quick look at Cowell’s post on Twitter indicates the profound love she has for humanity. The post was public and many individuals interacted with the post including political scientist Condoleezza rice. The post originated from Cowell and was influenced by the commitment to assist the victims of the fire to by helping in gathering crucial amenities for survival as they establish long lasting better solutions. Additionally, the post also shows how fast communication can be spread to millions of individuals located worldwide at the mere press of a button without saying a word.
Analysis of Your Post (Simon Cowell)
Cowell’s post that I shared was created on 20 Jun and stated: “Thank you to everyone for their help and support in making this happen” (SimonCowell 2017). The post is meant to show appreciation to individuals who had heard a plea he made in a previous post. Cowell kindness is shown as he sticks with the victim of the tragedy and using every possible means to gather funds, which will be used by victims of the fire. The post was public to ensure every person gets to see it considering the context of the post. I chose to share this post since it is very unlikely of Cowell to be concerned to this extent. Additionally, while Cowell was not the one who would use the goods donated by his followers, Cowell still took it upon himself to thank individuals who had submitted their donation.
Findings about Sharing in Simon Cowell
Based on the post shared by Cowell, it is evident that even though as a judge he seems to be arrogant and inconsiderate of other emotions, he has limitation. The common element between the two figures is their dedication to helping each other especially the needy in different perspectives. The society consists of individuals from different financial backgrounds. However, it is wrong for the society to allow economical stratification. While Oprah shows utmost support by being among individual who will sign autographs for every person who gets Michelle’s book, Cowell gathers his followers with the hope to convince them to donate victims of the fire.
Bridging These Publics
Through Oprah, I have learned to be humble regardless of my social status. Despite Oprah being one of the richest and influential women on earth, she still interacts within individuals of all ages regardless of the social, economic status of individuals. On the other hand, Cowell has taught me to support the less fortunate. This is evident through her firm support to stand by victims of the fire. The form of communication I may accomplish is sharing the post and offering social support. This information is important since as it shows the positive aspect of social media when used in a better way.
In conclusion, the power of social media is unimaginable. The 21st
century has experienced a great number of the technology revolution. Out of curiosity to keep the world connected, social media emerged. The presence of social media has changed how individuals interact. Surprisingly, the speed at which technology is taking place, it is quite hard to establish its optimum potential. This case analyzes to publics namely Oprah Winfrey and Simon Cowell. Opera is one of the most admired women across the globe First, background information of the two publics given. Second, the paper issues an instance of how an individual back in history when social media were not present communicated. Third, it asses the culture of the two figures and establish how the characters are manifested in the posts made by the two figures on social media. The cases also issue personal opinions on the post made by the public. The case completes by bridging the two publics.
References
Jenkins, H., Ford, S., " Green, J. (2018). Spreadable media: Creating value and meaning in a networked culture. NYU Press.
Landy, F. J., " Conte, J. M. (2016). Work in the 21st century, Binder ready version: An introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology. John Wiley " Sons.
Oprah. (2018, Nov 15). “Michelle, I never thought of it that way before, but I couldn’t agree more. You’ve shown us that there’s not just ONE thing we can be when we “grow up.” We’ve never fully arrived…we’re always evolving, always BECOMING. Watch our sit-down TONIGHT at 8/7c on OWN. #IAMBECOMING” [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Oprah. (2018, Nov 7). “Can you believe it? Halloween is behind us. Elections have passed " we're into “the most wonderful time of the year”! I’ve been busy curating delights for foodies, fashionistas, techies, EVERYBODY! Please enjoy more than a few of my Faaaavorite Things. http://OprahMag.com/favorite-things. [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/Oprah?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
SimonCowell. (2017, Jun 20). “As well as buying the single, we hope people can support those affected by the Grenfell fire by donating. Artistfogrenfell.com” [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/simoncowell?lang=en
SimonCowell. (2017, Jun 20). “Thank you to everyone for their help and support in making this happen” [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/simoncowell?lang=en
SimonCowell. (2017, Jun 20). “We hope to confirm a record tomorrow which will raise some money for the many people affected by this tragedy. Making calls tonight”. [Twitter Post]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/simoncowell?lang=en
Wilkins, K. G. (2015). Celebrity as a celebration of privatization in global development: A critical feminist analysis of Oprah, Madonna, and Angelina. Communication, Culture " Critique, 8(2), 163-181.
