Istanbul Gelişim University (IGU), Faculty of Fine Arts (FAF) Vice Dean and faculty member of the Department of Communication and Design, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezgin Savaş has attracted attention with a significant academic study. Savaş's latest article, co-authored with Assistant Prof. Dr. Esra Tunçay and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sarp Bağcan, titled "Analysis of Donald Trump's Tweets During the United States Capitol Insurrection in terms of Leadership and Fanaticism," has been published in the Journal of History School.
This article by Savaş delves into an important period in the history of the United States. It examines the messages shared by then-US President Donald Trump on Twitter during the Capitol Insurrection on January 6, 2021. This research, conducted to understand the role of leadership and fanaticism in this event, has garnered the interest of the international community.
Abstract from the article:
A social media system that is designed to be directly relied upon by a leader allows him/her to establish a world and a network that is isolated from the outside world. While the leader only communicates/interacts with her supporters in her communication ecosystem, she can become unique in her eyes. Problems and solutions are made sense and shaped in this ecosystem. Meanings and sentiments represent the character of the leader who becomes the absolute within the system, and the leader and her supporters become one. Breaking away from reality, therefore, an environment prone to leader cult and fanaticism, where the other is seen as inferior or hated, can emerge. This study, accordingly, will answer the following question through an analysis of the US Capitol Attack that occurred on 6th January 2021: How do the leaders communicate with their supporters during an act of violence? The attack, made by the masses of the President himself in the United States, is of paramount importance and suitable for an effective observation of the relationship between social media and violence. The paper will analyze Donald Trump’s tweets between 03.00-08.01 via the R program. His tweets on the last day, when the events faded away and Twitter closed his account completely, will be subjected to sentiment analysis. The paper will conclude that Trump focused on overwhelming the election, interpreting the events and the persons with negative and harsh adjectives and adverbs. Furthermore, the paper will also conclude that Trump used this kind of language to keep his supporters mobilized, collaborating with mass platforms and using the same language in the process of communication with his supporters. The findings will show that Trump is an enthusiastic but, at the same time, a hot-headed leader who conveys positive messages to his supporters.
IGU FAF congratulates Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezgin Savaş and wishes continued success.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Sezgin Savaş's article can be accessed on the Journal of History School's website. To access it, click here: https://johschool.com/?mod=makale_tr_ozet&makale_id=62920
