THE RHYTHMS OF OCCUPY:
 BROADCASTING AND LISTENING PRACTICES ON #OWS




Sharon Meraz, PhD                    Zizi Papacharissi @zizip
Assistant Professor, Communication   Professor and Head, Communication
University of Illinois at Chicago    University of Illinois at Chicago
premise and previous research
•  Twi$er	
  as	
  news	
  repor-ng	
  mechanism	
  
    •  Established	
  news	
  values	
  guide	
  use	
  of	
  Twi$er	
  
    •  News	
  breaking/premedia-on/instantaneity	
  
    •  Homophily,	
  peripheral	
  awareness	
  and	
  ambient	
  news	
  environments,	
  
       hybridity	
  	
  


•  Twi$er	
  as	
  news	
  sharing	
  mechanism	
  during	
  uprisings	
  
    •  Electronic	
  word	
  of	
  mouth	
  
    •  Broadcas-ng	
  and	
  ‘listening	
  in’	
  on	
  uprisings	
  
    •  Homophily	
  and	
  group	
  iden-ty
theoretical framework
                                Who says what to whom [w/what effect]
                                                Framing/Gatekeeping

                                                  Networked Gatekeeping
  Process through which actors crowdsourced to prominence through the use
                       of addressivity markers and conversational practices

                                                       Networked Framing
  Process through which a particular problem definition, causal interpretation,
      moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation attain prominence
                                            through crowdsourcing practices
research design
RQ 1: How do tweets containing conversational markers describe the
 networked rhythms of content produced via #ows?
RQ2: Who are the elite users across addressivity markers?
RQ3: To what extent do hashtags provide organic level framing?

Computerized content analysis, 10% stratified random sample,
Oct 2011- July 2012

Frequency analysis (SQL scripts), addressivity markers and hashtag
 frequency

Discourse analysis
 isolated episodes of high addressivity/peaks, examine content,
 addressity patterns, focus of conversation, conversational tendencies
RQ1: Networked rhythms of content produced via #ows
    6000




    5000




    4000




    3000                                      count
                                              Mention
                                              RT
    2000
                                              Via



    1000




       0
RQ2: Networked Gatekeeping
RQ3: Networked Framing
Conversational practices and affordances
(discourse analysis findings)

 •  Affect




 •  Performativity




 •  Openness and disorder
    •  ideological trolling, contention
conclusions and next steps
•  Networked framing and gatekeeping over time


•  [semantic analysis, discourse analysis]


•  Digital textures, affective structures, and online footprints of
 movements

•  Affective publics

                                             Thank you! @zizip uic.edu/~zizi

the rhythms of occupy: broadcasting and listening practices on #ows

  • 1.
    THE RHYTHMS OFOCCUPY: BROADCASTING AND LISTENING PRACTICES ON #OWS Sharon Meraz, PhD Zizi Papacharissi @zizip Assistant Professor, Communication Professor and Head, Communication University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago
  • 2.
    premise and previousresearch •  Twi$er  as  news  repor-ng  mechanism   •  Established  news  values  guide  use  of  Twi$er   •  News  breaking/premedia-on/instantaneity   •  Homophily,  peripheral  awareness  and  ambient  news  environments,   hybridity     •  Twi$er  as  news  sharing  mechanism  during  uprisings   •  Electronic  word  of  mouth   •  Broadcas-ng  and  ‘listening  in’  on  uprisings   •  Homophily  and  group  iden-ty
  • 3.
    theoretical framework Who says what to whom [w/what effect] Framing/Gatekeeping Networked Gatekeeping Process through which actors crowdsourced to prominence through the use of addressivity markers and conversational practices Networked Framing Process through which a particular problem definition, causal interpretation, moral evaluation, and/or treatment recommendation attain prominence through crowdsourcing practices
  • 4.
    research design RQ 1:How do tweets containing conversational markers describe the networked rhythms of content produced via #ows? RQ2: Who are the elite users across addressivity markers? RQ3: To what extent do hashtags provide organic level framing? Computerized content analysis, 10% stratified random sample, Oct 2011- July 2012 Frequency analysis (SQL scripts), addressivity markers and hashtag frequency Discourse analysis isolated episodes of high addressivity/peaks, examine content, addressity patterns, focus of conversation, conversational tendencies
  • 5.
    RQ1: Networked rhythmsof content produced via #ows 6000 5000 4000 3000 count Mention RT 2000 Via 1000 0
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
    Conversational practices andaffordances (discourse analysis findings) •  Affect •  Performativity •  Openness and disorder •  ideological trolling, contention
  • 9.
    conclusions and nextsteps •  Networked framing and gatekeeping over time •  [semantic analysis, discourse analysis] •  Digital textures, affective structures, and online footprints of movements •  Affective publics Thank you! @zizip uic.edu/~zizi