The Role Of Social Media In Tanzania Public Diplomacy

Recently,communication sectors have experienced fast technological changes and advancements,which have led to the influx of different social media in many others countries than the traditional media like Radio,Television,and newspapers.Therefore,this has raised the concern for media companies to boost the traditional media efforts using social media.The advancements of communication to new media has resulted in the shift of international politics particularly,diplomacy from traditional diplomacy to new diplomacy/digital diplomacy which embraces the use of new media.Social media gained its importance following United States foreign policy initiatives over social media as a tool of public diplomacy and soft power for spreading its ideas,norms and other national ideologies.The new media geared changes for audience behavior on informational news.The United States as the world creator and innovator of social media made other states follow its suits due the power and potentiality given to social media.Later on,other states established strategies for social media use in public diplomacy to fit their national policy and foreign policy objectives.With the emergence of social media,individuals have automatically been the creator of their own messages and able to receive and read numerous messages from others,governments and non-state organizations.As far as the idea for the establishment of social media is concerned,social media were purposely for social engagement like family communications,friends and mostly used by youth compared to older ones.However,on the other side the social media use has brought group mobilization and activism especially in North African and Arab countries.Therefore,enlighten the world community that social media are more powerful and sometimes may shake the national stability.This research study based on the role of social media in Tanzania public diplomacy.The general objective of the study is to find out the progress of social media use in Tanzania,opportunities created from its use and the limitations faced from social media use for public diplomacy.Public diplomacy programs apart from other roles puts priority on public engagement and influence of public opinion hence social media applications expected to accomplish this role as projected in every activity.Beliefs and credit given on the power of social media has brought interest for doing research particularly for Tanzania public diplomacy.For it is known that government communication is more formal and requires screening before giving out information for public consumption and find out the future projection as far as the online hacking and fake news are considered.This research will be of a great help to those aiming to follow other countries in the adoption of social media for public diplomacy.From the study,specific countries will also learn initiatives done by the government of Tanzania and come out with better solutions to limitations and weaknesses on their application.From the survey,the researcher has found how social media has been of great help in boosting public diplomacy campaigns and benefits achieved from social media use.The Government of the united Republic of Tanzania assumed to adopt social media for government purposes in 2010.This research adapted liberal theory to comprehend and analyze the study,with emphasis on democratic peace theory,which explains on the interdependence among democrats created by economic,political and social factors that bind them together.Liberals also insist on the importance of information sharing since secrecy diplomacy is no longer compatible with the new media,which has resulted to globalization.Argument shows,information sharing among states reduces tension and instability to others states.Hence with technological advancements social media has been a trending tool of public diplomacy campaigns following its immediacy,quick response,dialogical way of communication that matches with the new diplomacy manners of public engagement,information and persuasion purposes for influencing positive attitude to foreign public,international corporations and foreign governments.Main arguments,the researcher assumes that social media has been an alternative news channel following public focus and interest on new media,which has influenced changes in Government-public communication.Therefore,government need to consider its formal communication since social media established purposely for family and friend connections.Qualitative research method employed to facilitate the researcher to explore and dig beneath.Aiming to understand the structure of the phenomenon,and provide knowledge on it with cultural and contextual situations through involvement of those present in areas where issues are happening for statistics approval.Majority of the respondents were public officials,Diplomats and youth(university students)as targeted group for the study.The study results revealed the mostly used online based media for public diplomacy in Tanzania are Blog,Facebook,twitter and website.Additionally,found social media performing basic roles in public diplomacy like,being tool for crisis management,strengthen regional cooperation,boosting opening of new areas of cooperation in multilateral and bilateral cooperation,enhance information sharing and promote foreign policy objectives.Other benefits are facilitating public diplomacy programs,promote public engagement,influence public opinion,attract foreign direct investment and promote national branding and image.Based on the findings of the survey,it is encouraged that,the ministry has to make official adoption of public diplomacy to allow the establishment of effective social media strategy and communication strategy.This will bring a good way and measurement for public engagement and influence of public opinion.Therefore,the results suggest that there is a need for the ministry to improve a two-way communication since the online-based communication created for dialogical purposes.Studies suggest social media used for information and persuasion strategies.The study goes deep identifies the limitations faced by Tanzania public diplomacy are;designing effect,online hacking and fake news,loss of control of government information,measuring effect,real time communication,lack of resources,informal channel of communication and information longevity.In conclusion researcher suggest encourages the necessity of two way communication characterized by dialogical communication.Also recommends it is time for specific countries to invest more on Information Technology.Nations need to invest on information technology,communications infrastructure,and human capital to allow establishment of own social media and effectiveness on its cyber laws to ensure manners,national identity,and cultural values in social media use,and have full control over them in time of national disasters.