Programme Periode: June 2020-August 2020
Team: Mirta Amalia, Klara Esti, M. Rinaldi Camil
In the past few years, we have seen a surge in the use of buzzers –otherwise known as online influencers– in social media for political agenda. Not rarely buzzers also engage in negative campaigns, which could potentially undermine democracy. Social media governance is thus seen as pressing. Little research has been conducted in this area.
This research attempts to unravel the process of buzzing by examining the logic, the actors involved, and their roles within the system. It investigates how a buzzer came into being and how a certain content spread in the network. While this research was conducted in 2017, it is still relevant in the current context as there were very few changes in the regulation. Understanding the above mentioned aspects is therefore critical in developing regulatory frameworks of social media governance. It is indeed an immense challenge. Nevertheless, it needs to be regulated so as to strengthen the public sphere in social media.