The Yellow Ribbon Activism movement gained greater momentum with support of the media and the SNS (Social Network Site). The Sewol disaster epitomizes the power of the media and how ideas spread exponentially through the Internet. Staring April 17th, the day after the sinking of the Sewol, the media was flooded with news regarding the incident, ranging from the incident itself to the reactions of victims’ families. For instance, on April 18th, KBS (Korea Broadcasting System) covered a live video footage of the incident where thousands of people gathered at home to watch the live stream rescue process. In addition to KBS, other major television networks such as MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation) and SBS (Seoul Broadcasting System) were updating the viewers on the news of the incident with live footages, interviews of victims’ families, and reactions of the people gathered at the site. News shows were not the only ones covering the Sewol incident; for example, Morning Wide, a Korean morning talk show, featured myriad celebrities of singers, actors, and comedians, to discuss the incident and to show their condolences. Numerous celebrities displayed their support by fasting for a period of time to share the grief of the missing students’ families. On April 24th, the DJ of Dreaming Radio, a radio talk show primarily for music, expressed his sorrows about the tragedy and provided songs in hopes to give some comfort to his listeners. As the radio is a popular source of media for drivers, the constant coverage of Sewol made people be aware of the issue everywhere they went, engraved in their heads. The incident was also making front-page headlines of newspapers, including Chosun Ilbo and Joongang Ilbo, starting from April 17th, continuing for weeks and weeks afterwards. The Korean media was saturated with the Sewol ferry incident everyday for months, to the point that there was not a single person who did not hear of the accident.
The SNS (Social Networking Sites) played a significant role in spreading the Yellow Ribbon Activism movement. The social media is a powerful tool that serves to spread ideas and information throughout the international community because there are no boundaries to the Internet. Furthermore, everyone nowadays use social media and social media is a form of media that modern people are most frequently exposed to. The power of social media comes from accessibility and freedom – unlike TV, radio, and newspapers, social media such as Facebook is free from government or bureaucratic control. Facebook was a major stepping-stone in advancement of the activism movement – people changed their profiles to the Yellow Ribbon, and shared numerous articles regarding the most recent updates of the Sewol ferry. Influential figures such as celebrities and public speakers also jumped into the activism movement through Facebook. As celebrities started talking about the movement, members of the younger generation gained increasingly more interest in the subject. Facebook also played a critical role in spreading the Yellow Ribbon Movement outside of South Korea. In a matter of days, the efforts of the activists crossed borders and became known to the international community. I myself became more aware of the movement through Facebook. As my newsfeed was overwhelmed with information regarding the Sewol incident, I naturally became exposed and more interested in the matter. I believe that social media is a very powerful tool when used right, and the Sewol activism movement epitomizes the power of SNS and how influential it could possibly be.
The SNS (Social Networking Sites) played a significant role in spreading the Yellow Ribbon Activism movement. The social media is a powerful tool that serves to spread ideas and information throughout the international community because there are no boundaries to the Internet. Furthermore, everyone nowadays use social media and social media is a form of media that modern people are most frequently exposed to. The power of social media comes from accessibility and freedom – unlike TV, radio, and newspapers, social media such as Facebook is free from government or bureaucratic control. Facebook was a major stepping-stone in advancement of the activism movement – people changed their profiles to the Yellow Ribbon, and shared numerous articles regarding the most recent updates of the Sewol ferry. Influential figures such as celebrities and public speakers also jumped into the activism movement through Facebook. As celebrities started talking about the movement, members of the younger generation gained increasingly more interest in the subject. Facebook also played a critical role in spreading the Yellow Ribbon Movement outside of South Korea. In a matter of days, the efforts of the activists crossed borders and became known to the international community. I myself became more aware of the movement through Facebook. As my newsfeed was overwhelmed with information regarding the Sewol incident, I naturally became exposed and more interested in the matter. I believe that social media is a very powerful tool when used right, and the Sewol activism movement epitomizes the power of SNS and how influential it could possibly be.