The spiral of silence and journalists' outspokenness on Twitter

Abstract

This study examined whether Twitter can serve as a public sphere where opinion leaders – in this case, journalists – speak up about politically controversial issues. Based on the theoretical framework of the spiral of silence (SOS), 118 Korean journalists from nine national newspapers and two network broadcasting companies were surveyed about their behavior on Twitter with regard to two controversial issues in South Korea. Results showed that journalists who perceived a greater discrepancy between their opinions and the opinions of Twitter users about controversial issues in South Korea were less willing to voice their opinions on Twitter; moreover, the journalists’ ideology was found to be a significant factor in expressing their opinions about controversial issues on Twitter. Specifically, politically conservative journalists were more likely to perceive that their opinions were in the minority; therefore, they were less likely than politically liberal journalists to discuss their opinions on Twitter because use of that particular technology is generally regarded in Korea as favored by liberals. This study contributes to the SOS theory by applying public opinion theory to opinion leaders, particularly journalists, and by suggesting that ideology can be a key factor in individuals’ ability to perceive discrepancy with opinions of others. This study also contributes to the SOS literature by expanding the majority influence from offline to online environments, especially on Twitter.