Impact of social media on power relations of Korean health activism

• Main Author: SHIM, Kyu Jin
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2014
• Subjects: health communication; patient activism; social media; e-mobilization; NGO communication; Asian Studies; Business; Business and Corporate Communications; Social Media
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/4682; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/5681/viewcontent/54.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This case study explores how the Korea Leukemia Patient Group (KLPG) uses social media in its internal communication strategy and how that empowers its relationship with external counterparts. The findings of this study indicate that the local health NGO’s communication strategy is changing in response to the increased effectiveness and impact of social media. With the use of social media like Twitter, the KLPG can construct an issue-based advocacy group quickly and effectively. Consequently, more legitimacy and representativeness through collected support from general publics has further empowered the KLPG. Yet, the sustainability component in the relationships built through social media use was not evidenced in the current findings. The analysis of the effects of social media use were conducted based on data collected from interviews with top-level executive members and general members of the KLPG, as well as from documentation and archival materials. Limitations and suggestions for future research are included.