THE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE PERFORMANCE OF PUBLIC RELATION FUNCTION BY PUBLIC RELATION FUNCTION DEPARTMENT OF UNIVERSITY OF LAGOS

CHAPTER ONE

1. Introduction
2. Background to the Study

Advancement in modern technology which resulted in building computer/internet in short information and communication technology (ICT) in the late 20 century and with more powerful and sophisticated ones in this 21 century which has transformed the world into a global village as postulated by a Canadian English professor, Marshal Mcluham.

This new technology has compressed the whole world into a single electronic to where information about far and near can be exchanged and shared with just a click of mouse.

Internet being the host of many other media tagged socio-media like: Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Ebay, Ebuddy, Eskimi, 2go, Yahoo, Google e.t.c making information distribution faster, cheaper and easier. The arrival of this information and communication technology has affected and the usual shapes of every human activities ranging from education to agriculture, business, mass communication, politics, health.

However, the practice of public relation is not exceptional as ICT has influenced the PRS being practice in this century.

Carrying out project work relating to the effect of social media on the practice of PRS will lead to the definition of ‘core word’ like public relation function from different perspectives.

According to the institute of public relation function, “public relation function are a deliberate planned and sustained effort to establish and maintained mutual understanding between an organization and its various publics.

Therefore, there is no gain saying in the fact that, the practices of PR in this century has moved from manual to the digital public relation function.

Digital public relation function or an e-public relation is the latest concept in corporate reputation management.

It is the practice of public relation function through the new ICT, it is an innovation concept that is computer mediated yet it is cheaper.

Today organization and clients are making greater demand as on public relation function professionals that are more ICT creative, more innovation and more efficiency in service delivery.

1. Statement of the Problem

The major concern of this project work is to access how social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, 2go e.t.c can enhance the practice of public relation function especially in creating and maintain mutual understanding for better interaction in the public relations department of the University of Lagos.

It is also the interest of the research to examine cost effectiveness, speedy delivery of message and see how public relation function can translate the social media into feedback and opinion media.

1. Purpose of the Study

1. To investigate the potential roles of social-media in modern practice of public relation function.

1. To study the differences and similarity in terms of cost, and effectiveness while using social media and traditional media for message dissemination.

1. To examine the public response attitude towards the social-media message.

1. To investigate whether the socio-media are suitable for public relation function practices in the public relations department of the University of Lagos.

1. To show the strength and weakness of social media as a public

relations tool.

1. Research Questions

1. 1. Does your department use social media in communication and sharing of ideas?

1. 1. To what extent has social media help your department solve problems and complains?

1. 1. Has social media enhanced the performance of public relation function department of public relations in the University of Lagos?

1. 1. Does the department of Public Relations University of Lagos face any challenge in using social media?

1. Significance of the Study

The study is to reveal how socio-media can be translated into a power tools in the hand of innovated and creative public relation function especially in building public confidence and effective interaction in the university of Lagos as a whole and the department of public relations in particular.

1. Scope of the Study

This research focuses on the effect of social-media on the practices of public relation function with a reference to department of public relations in the University of Lagos.

1. Limitation to the Study

Research work like this cannot be carried out examine all organization and that is why the work is limited only to the public relations department, University of Lagos.

Limitation is also posed by the few literature that is ready available for this study since the work is new.

Time factor is another hindrance as attention is needed for other academic activities.

Lack of fund to travel frequently to the public relations department in the University of Lagos.

1. Definition of Terms

Publics: A group of persons with similar aspiration and ideas, interestand characteristics that is of importance to an organization

Public relation function: Is the deliberate planned and sustained effort toestablish and maintain mutual understandings between an organization and its publics

Relations: The way in which two people or group behaves towards eachother or deal with one another

Organization: A group of people who form a business together in order toachieve a particular aim or a group with a particular purpose

Social Media: A group of internet-based applications that build on theideological and technological foundations of web 2.0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. (Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010)

Social Skills: Any skills facilitating interaction and communication withothers. Social rules and relations are created, communicated and changed in verbal and nonverbal ways through a process called socialization.

Cyberspace: This is the electronic medium of computer networks, inwhich online communication takes place.