Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
publishedVersion
Publication Date
6-2011
Abstract
This paper proposes a new way of classifying publics in terms of their adoption and use of digitalised communication technologies. A CATI (computer aided telephone interview) survey of 1,014 citizens revealed that people in Siena, Italy, show different patterns and gaps in adopting new media and technologies as well as in using them in their civic participation and engagement. Based on the survey results, four types of publics are suggested (inactive, analogical, hybrid, and digital publics) and a demographic profile of each public including age, gender, and education is provided. The relationships among public types, level of education, and gender on civic knowledge and civic conversation are examined. The implications for public relations scholarship, and practices are discussed. In addition, the possibility of an emerging social digital public is discussed
Discipline
Business and Corporate Communications | Communication Technology and New Media | Social Influence and Political Communication
Research Areas
Corporate Communication
Publication
PRism
Volume
8
Issue
2
First Page
1
Last Page
20
ISSN
1448-4404
Citation
Lovari, Alessandro; KIM, Soojin; Vibber, Kelly; and KIM, Jeong-Nam.
Digitisation's Impacts on publics: Public Knowledge and Civic Conversation. (2011). PRism. 8, (2), 1-20.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/4733
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://www.prismjournal.org/fileadmin/8_2/Lovari_Kim_Vibber_Kim.pdf
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons