Online Public Opinion Guidance Strategy for College Students in the Era of We Media ()
1. Introduction
University Student Party Member’s Characteristic Demand
“We Media” refers to the dissemination of the public’s own facts and news through the Internet and other channels. It is a way for ordinary people to provide and share their own facts and news as they connect with the global knowledge system through digital technology. It is the communicator of the private, civilian and general person, and it is the modern, electronic means, to the non-specific majority or a specific individual transmission of normative and non-normative information of the new media [1] [2] [3] [4].
Due to the rapid development and popularization of the Internet, the user is entering a new era of We Media. In the era of We Media, everyone has a microphone and is the producer and disseminator of public opinion. Among them, college students have become the main force in the production and dissemination of online public opinion [5] [6] [7]. It is reported that there are billions internet users in China, and the internet penetration rate is about 60%. College students aged between 17 and 25 account for a large proportion [8] [9] [10] [11]. With the rapid development of campus network, the coverage of computers, smart phones and other mobile terminal devices determines the convenience and immediacy of public opinion information generation and reception. According to the survey results, about 35 percent of social public opinions are rising due to the Internet, which is similar to the age of self-media. What follows is the network topic which is more extensive; the network irrational mood presents the trend that spreads. In today’s universities, the Internet has become the most turbulent place for college students to express their opinions, so it is urgent to strengthen guidance and management of online public opinions. We media information source is convenient and easy to communicate, but it also means the interference of multiple information. College students are in the period of the philosophy, and their value judgment is not fully mature. They are deeply influenced by the virtual environment of the network for a long time, and they are likely to be confused. The disadvantages brought by the era of We Media undoubtedly bring unprecedented challenges to the ideological and political education in colleges and universities [12] [13] [14] [15] [16].
2. Characteristics of Online Public Opinion in Colleges and Universities in the Era of We Media
2.1. The Concealment of Online Public Opinion in Colleges and Universities
The main body of online public opinion is the college students who use the Internet. When college students use QQ, WeChat or microblog to release information, they do not need to sign their real names, but express their opinions and release information with the network nickname as their personal identity. Such public opinion publishers can be said to be “working without certificates”. With the hidden feature of “non-real-name authentication” and the fact that We Media has separated from the traditional censorship, college students’ opinions and emotional attitudes on We Media network are often more intense and active than in real life [17] [18] [19] [20] [21].
2.2. Diversity and Sensitivity of Online Public Opinions in Colleges and Universities
Public opinion the object as the subject of colleges and universities focus on objects, not only includes all aspects of campus life, such as regulations and policies of the education teaching, university students’ employment, university students’ rights protection problems, also contains the discussion of international concern to students, targeted on local events, the influence of the linkage between different universities, etc., on the same issue extremely diversity. Due to the high social attention on universities, public opinion problems in universities are often easy to attract public attention and spread quickly, or even become a major public opinion event. Therefore, public opinion in universities is also sensitive [22] [23].
2.3. The Richness of Online Public Opinion Carriers in Colleges and Universities
In the media age, people can not only through the BBS, QQ group, blog, etc the main vehicle for the spread of education network public opinion from the ground to express their views, still can use Weibo, WeChatetc which has the function of real-time updates, instant share emerging media to broadcast live events, opinions and exchange opinions. At present, mainstream We Media with high usage and influence can be divided into two categories: 1) information disclosure or semi-public platforms, such as microblog, WeChat public account, BBS, etc. 2) such as QQ, WeChat and other instant messaging applications. Diversified and rich channels also increase the difficulty of guiding online public opinion in colleges and universities to some extent [24] [25].
2.4. The Interactivity and Immediacy of Public Opinion Dissemination
Different from traditional paper media or TV and radio media, which have a long cycle of one-way communication and information transmission and slow interactive update, public opinion communication in the Internet era is highly interactive, and information can get feedback between the publisher and receiver in real time. The information and content of We Media often reach the readers directly. The continuous development of media technology further strengthens the interaction and public opinion among the subjects of online public opinion in colleges and universities.
3. Problems and Challenges of Public Opinion Guidance in the Era of We Media
3.1. The Dissolution of the Status of Authority Subject, the Challenge of Discourse Power
In the era dominated by traditional media, there are special channels and audit procedures for news access, and students’ access to information is limited. The official media of the school and the information transmission of teachers have absolute authority. However, in the era of “We Media”, the network is highly free and interactive, which gives participants more space for thinking and greatly arouses their self-consciousness. In this case, each student can independently obtain information, make judgment and express opinions, and it is difficult for them to change their thinking and unify their voices by authoritative speeches. As We Media users with the same status as students, the school can no longer control the right of discourse unilaterally. Therefore, the management of online public opinions in colleges and universities has changed from a condescending leadership mode to an equal and open conversation mode.
3.2. The Expression of Public Opinion Is Irrational and the Dissemination of Content Lacks Objectivity
The threshold of using We Media to participate in the expression of public opinions is very low. Moreover, due to the concealment of the subject of online public opinions, it is easy to have some extreme statements that intensify the contradictions. University has always been a high incidence of public opinion events, because the university public opinion nationality is wide, high sensitivity, spread rapidly, for the same public opinion issues often can appear the situation of public opinion guide turn many times, this is because in the process of its spread and complex speech, many “fact”—the comments on individual media speak rational and irrational speech interweave, spread the truth and the real situation of mixed, thus confusing the public and cause. Although We Media spreads information fast, rich in content and novel in form, its objectivity and accuracy are difficult to ensure.
3.3. Public Opinion Monitoring Is Weak and Needs to Be Improved
Public opinion monitoring and guidance are mere forms, which have not been truly institutionalized and scientific. Many colleges and universities have not paid attention to it, but simply attach the public opinion work to the relevant departments in charge of student work or safety work for granted. The team is not perfect, which leads to the failure of daily public opinion collection, analysis and treatment. Once public opinion events break out, there will be great hidden dangers [26] [27] [28] [29].
4. Public Opinion Guidance Strategies in the Era of We Media
4.1. Strengthen Team Building and Return the Right of Public Opinion
Strengthening the construction of network public opinion work team in colleges and universities is the internal requirement of public opinion guidance in colleges and universities. In the context of We Media, both school teachers and students are equal users and have a fair say in the same thing. The teacher is the subject of the education workers, whose authority has received the unprecedented challenge. Under the age with convenient information source and the information equal transmiting since the media situation, the teacher in information transfer points of view on the voice which were greatly weakened, so in this case, the education workers must improve the quality of the media and public opinion guide, improve the sensitivity, timely control the public opinion. This requires the public opinion managers in colleges and universities to give a positive response quickly when public opinion breaks out, express their attitude and clarify the truth at the first time, so as to take the initiative and control the discourse power of public opinion orientation. Although every We Media user can publish and disseminate information independently, only a few public opinion participants can be generally recognized, playing a core role in the guidance of public opinion and playing a leading role in the development of public opinion.
The role of the sleeve: Opinion leaders have a significant impact on the construction of public opinion in colleges and universities. They can be recognized by the group they represent, put forward opinions when public opinion occurs, and guide public opinion orientation. Therefore, public opinion managers in colleges and universities should attach importance to the influence of opinion leaders and respect their opinions. When public opinions break out, they can take the initiative to communicate with them and put forward positive opinions, so as to achieve the purpose of public opinion guidance with a point and a surface. This is also more requirements put forward for public opinion management team construction, to cultivate a batch of thought with depth, and the high-quality medium, and they have sensitivity to reflect public opinion; opinion leaders have a mass base, enabling them to participate into the media discussion, put forward insights, guide other users since the media of speech, and play the role of public opinion guide.
4.2. Enrich Platform Construction and Give Full Play to the Role of Various Media
The traditional media of colleges and universities are mainly the school newspaper, the university radio and television station and the one-way dissemination of information. After entering the Internet era, students have stepped into the virtual space to record their mood and express their opinions. Most students are used to express their opinions at any time on the We Media platform. Therefore, universities should not lose their voice on We Media platforms such as microblog and WeChat, but take the initiative to take a place on We Media platforms, give full play to the role of various media, actively develop and make use of the convenience and immediacy of We Media, and strengthen ideological education for students in virtual space. In order to make the public opinion guidance work to achieve the target, various colleges and universities should be in the rich media platform fluctuation kongfu, with accomplishment: 1) set up in each big mainstream media in universities since the official media platform, such as: the school plus V certification Weibo, WeChat public, special BBS, etc., on these platforms in a timely manner information disclosure, to promote the school affairs to deal with public transparency; 2) set up QQ group, WeChat group and other teacher-student communication platforms with each class, grade, community organization and party organization as the unit, and set up mentors, student commentators and other roles among the masses to timely solve problems through online questions and answers; 3) public opinion managers of colleges and universities, as well as teachers, ideological and political counselors, student cadres and opinion leaders, establish personal We Media platforms through certification to convey positive energy to followers in a popular way, release authoritative news, clarify right and wrong, and become public opinion Guiding post.
4.3. Mechanism Construction and Public Opinion Guidance
In order to achieve a good effect of public opinion guidance, it is necessary to respect the law of public opinion dissemination, analyze the characteristics of each stage of public opinion generation and development, and build a complete public opinion guidance mechanism in colleges and universities. The construction of network community is standardized day by day; the standardization of campus network is also the general trend. In the era of We Media, colleges and universities should establish a positive public opinion image and ensure a good network public opinion environment on campus
Have special network public opinion monitoring mechanism, such as Hunan province institute of central south university network public opinion—the foot of the cloud valley network public opinion research institute, based on the school’s public opinion, on the basis of using advanced network technology and tools to build the network public opinion monitoring system, focus on network hot issues, leading the campus network culture, the campus public opinion guide picked up good results. Use college network public opinion monitoring system, can help university public opinion related management personnel to collect, analyze and analyze public opinion information. With accurate and timely monitoring of the information, we can find out the public opinion in time at the beginning of the occurrence of public opinion, give positive response, explain and explain, and prevent mistransmission. In the process of expansion of public opinion, in order to focus the content as the center, planning topics, propaganda guidance through the multiple platforms and online interaction, collect understand the opinions of the students thinking, to reflect the problem to be solved quickly feedback to each relevant department and respond quickly released the most authoritative information, promote public opinion with network public opinion monitoring mechanism precision work efficiency [30] [31] [32] [33].
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from the Party Building Research Project of Jiangxi province (Grant Numbers: 400266).