LIMA — There is an old saying that states “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”
However, that adage doesn’t necessarily cross over into the political arena.
Armed with a strong ego, President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter as a means of responding to criticism and airing his thoughts. The effect of his posts on social media can have quite a different impact depending on who is reading them.
Bluffton University Communications Professor Marathana Prothro said the words can have different meaning to many because of the crowds we run in. She said we tend to organize into groups of like-minded individuals so information will take on a different meaning within those groups.
“We want to be with people who are similar where we share common ideas,” Prothro said.
Prothro said President Trump certainly is not the first and will not be the last president to say “off the cuff” remarks that would have a negative impact on a certain population of people. However, she said one big difference is before the days of social media, many of those comments would never be made public. She said it appears that Trump appears to have direct access to posting on Twitter or other social media, without anyone telling him stop or pause and think about what he is saying.
“He likely is not critically assessed on the things he says,” Prothro said. “The sticks and stones theory simply is not true. Words do hurt people.”
Prothro said this can have long-lasting effects.
“When we are not thinking about our words, it becomes more socially acceptable to be unfiltered,” Prothro said. “We all listen to these messages through our own lens of how we perceive the world. You, I and the neo-Nazi who lives next door can hear the same thing, but it meant something totally different through our lens.”
Prothro gave a recent example of the power words have when they are unfiltered. In early December, unsubstantiated rumors surfaced of Hillary Clinton operating a child sex ring out of a pizza place in Washington D.C. The rumor was later revealed as false, but Edgar Maddison Welch went to the establishment and fired a rifle, though no one was injured.
“There is causation,” Prothro said. “Most people looked at that and saw it as wrong. But to the shooter, he saw it as doing the right thing.”
Ohio Northern University chair of Communication and Media Studies Jennifer Walton said it is important that Trump set the right tone with so much division.
“After such a divisive political season, it is imperative that Trump sets a positive tone and shares his plans on how he plans to unite the country,” said Walton. “Shortly after the election and his initial conversation with President Obama, things looked promising, but shortly thereafter, talk of a smooth transition and working with the current administration went out the window.”
Walton said it is important to start with concerns resonating with many people to bridge the communication gap.
“Trump needs to talk in concrete terms about specific topics that resonate with people,” Walton said.” It would be smart to discuss issues that everyday Americans care about and can bridge the gap he has with his detractors. Themes he should discuss are the economy, foreign policy and homeland security. If he hits those notes hard, he can build bridges with people. These are messages that matter to most people who are concerned about having jobs and putting bread on the table.”
Walton finds it encouraging that Trump is consulting with presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. “He has indicated he is trying to channel Presidents Kennedy and Reagan, who were both uniters and strong communicators, Walton said. “Trump also has said he wants his talk to be short and powerful, which is a good thing.”
ONU Associate Professor of Communications Alisa Agozzino is a social media use expert and said that Trump’s approach is changing the rules for presidential communication with both social and traditional media.
“This is all new and different from other elections and incoming presidencies, and we will find out if it ultimately works,” said Agozzino, associate professor of public relations at ONU. “Usually, the CEO of a company, let alone an entire nation, will use a public relations team to vet the material he posts and to gauge the repercussions. That does not seem to be the case here, where Trump seems to be putting information out there without consulting with others. In some ways, he seems more concerned with his personal brand than the brand of what he will represent. It will be interesting to see if his approach changes once in office.”
Agozzino said There are both positive and negative aspects to Trump’s approach.
Agozzino said Trump’s social media usage is also changing media interactions.
“Presidents, both those in office and incoming, have traditionally relied on the news media to reach people,” Agozzino said. “Instead, Trump is taking his message straight to the people, which was his style during the campaign. By relying on his social media posts, Trump is able to deliver the message directly, and he does not have to do it in a specified time and place, as he would with press conferences. Again, that seems to fit his personality.”
“This is changing the landscape. Now, reporters do not have as much influence over the message, and, often, they are reacting to his tweets. In all ways, Trump is the exception to the rule. It will be interesting to see if he changes once in office and if he has time to tweet so frequently.”
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