Research On Opinion Leaders In The Internet Communication

The rapid rise of network society, is increasingly shaping a broad public space for opinion expression and social participation, and opinion leaders is an important force who suddenly rise in the space field. As "activists" in the network, opinion leaders occupied the core position of the network communication filed gradually through active self-expression, active public participation and multiple interactions. At the same time, as the guider in network public opinion, the discourse practice of network opinion leaders is also an important representation of the media transformation and social change, which is of crucial importance for the network communication ecology and social transformation.Firstly, on the concept of it, network opinion leaders are "activists" who provide information and ideas to others and have certain influence to others in the network communication. In essence, the network opinion leaders are new discourse class rise in the Internet era. Considered the network opinion leaders from two perspectives of social context and communication media, the rise of network opinion leaders is not only the presentation of the return of public discourse right in social change, but also the result of discourse reconstruction under the Internet technology empowerment.Secondly, through the study of typical public communication events by empirical research methods, construct a selection index system of the network opinion leaders, and then analyzes the overall features and internal mechanism of them. The study found that the network opinion leaders group is mainly composed of male identities from the developed cities, which is multiply formed by the media person and entertainment stars. This group is keen to participate in public affairs, preference of political and social issues, and present a relatively stable mode of discourse. From the point of opinion expression, network opinion leaders transmit professional information while engaging in cross-boundary public expression frequently, including rational sentiment analysis and emotional catharsis. In terms of leadership, the network opinion leader are both the center and the bridge of the social network with Charisma traits, who promoting the social integration as well as creating differentiation and conflict.Again, from the aspect of the behavior mechanism of network opinion leaders. As the subject of communication, the network opinion leaders achieve their role construction and identity by strategic self performance. As the actors in social network, the network opinion leaders have diverse interaction with the media and the opinion proliferators, and formed a relationship network based on circle group with them. Network opinion leaders also exist in the social context, the political and economic power relations will affect their behavior direction.In addition, the influencing mechanism of network opinion leaders in the evolution of online public opinion, including a process from agenda-setting, frame construction to social mobilization. Network opinion leaders engage in the construction of public issues through three different paths, which lead to the socially-informed of issue. The frame construction of network opinion leaders is a process of game and blend among multiple perspectives, which leads the social expression of public opinion. From community construction and community consensus to goal-directed collective action, network opinion leaders also promote the transformation of online public opinion to offline action as the core node of opinion group.Finally, because of self identity, media environment and social structure, there exit some problems in the practice of network opinion leaders, including crisis of confidence in cross-boundary discourse, behavior anomie in the fragmentation of network communication and subject alienation under the consumerism economic. Therefore, the network opinion leaders must improve their professional literacy and public spirit, at the same time advance the construction of Internet public sphere and the cultivation of mainstream opinion leaders, in order to give full play to the role of the network opinion leaders to promote public opinion guidance.