The Interaction

There are plenty of differences between print media content and web media content and one of the most significant factors is interaction. Unlike traditional print media content, the audiences do not only read but also respond and interact with information. Nowadays, in almost every online media source such as Facebook and Twitter, there are comment sections, retweets or spaces where users can share their thoughts about everything that happens in the world. Sometimes, comments in the comments or retweet sections can ignite a trend or phenomenon. The bigger the web media content, the bigger the interaction. One of the many examples about the interaction in the web media content is the remarkable event this week between Colin Kaepernick and Nike.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y31hkoXEMHU

Colin Kaepernick is an American football quarterback and now is a free agent. In 2016, he became a national figure when he ignited a firestorm of controversy by choosing to kneel on one knee instead of standing during the United States national anthem before the start of NFL games (Abad-Santos, 2018). After that he described his behavior as a protest against racial injustices for African Americans (Abad-Santos, 2018). Last Monday, Nike announced Colin Kaepernick as the new face of the company’s “Just Do It” campaign. That sparked a firestorm on social media, especially on Twitter. A lot of people showed their support to Nike as well as Colin Kaepernick while many other people became angry because they felt he disrespected his flag and country. On Twitter, a user named Sean Clancy wrote: “First the @NFL forces me to choose between my favorite sport and my country, I chose country. Then @Nike forces me to choose between my favorite shoes and my country. Since when did the American Flag and the National Anthem become offensive?” (Gaydos, 2018). This form of protest was responded to many other users and became a hot topic with the hashtag #BurnYourNikes. This example shows how important the interaction is. The comments and retweets are not only the place where the audiences express their thoughts and feelings, but also the place where they ignite a protest or respond to a trend when it gathers enough attention. As the way the interaction between the audiences and the web media is powerful, what can we do to shape our content and make it more attractive? The secret keys are simply three words: message, organization and interpretation. First of all, the online writer has to convey the message in a clever, amusing, and profound way. There is a variety of information that is like others, so the online writer’s mission is to make their message unique and stand out from the others. Next, even though the audiences could stare at their smartphone screens all day, they rarely focus on a single article for more than one minute or two. Therefore, the online writer has to organize the information as simply and delicately as possible. The final step is to publish. Who are you trying to reach? How much do you have in your budget? What exactly do you want to convey to your audiences? These are the questions that the online writer needs to ask themselves before deciding the medium to publish. In conclusion, the interaction is one of the most significant factors on web media content and message, organization, and interpretation are the keys to make it more attractive.

References

Gaydos, R. (2018, September 04). Backlash after Colin Kaepernick named face of Nike ad. FoxNews. Retrieved from: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2018/09/04/colin-kaepernick-earns-support-from-strange-bedfellows-over-nike-ad.html

Abad-Santos, A. (2018, September 06). Why the social media boycott over Colin Kaepernick is a win for Nike. Vox. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/2018/9/4/17818148/nike-boycott-kaepernick