Facebook usage and perceived police legitimacy : the case of the Umbrella movement in Hong Kong

Abstract

 This study explores the influence of social media use, Facebook in particular, on the perceived police legitimacy among the protesters in the context of the Umbrella Movement (UM) which occurred in Hong Kong in 2014. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on 10 protesters, who claimed to be Facebook users, between May 2015 and February 2016. Most respondents stated that traditional media have low credibility as journalists report the news selectively without showing the comprehensive circumstances. They are likely to trust the information retrieved from social media. Based on feedback from the participants, social media have an influence on shaping users’ views, stimulating emotions, participating in social movements, as well as raising social awareness. In the UM, social media played an important role in five aspects: information, organization and communication, mobilization, reporting, and reframing, as well as identity building. With the influence of social media and their personal experience, most participants held positive attitudes toward the police (ATP) before the UM which deteriorated during the UM. Social media help reinforce their negative ATP and persisted after the movement.