Measuring the impact of new media in public relations practices via Instagram (case analysis of Sakarya University and Islamic University in Uganda Communication Faculties)

New media refers to content that is available online and can be accessed on-demand. Its emergence has brought profound effect to the Public Relations field, introducing notable transformations within communication practices. İn this era, there exists lots of changes from websites to wikis, from podcasts to blogs. The evolution of internet-based communication technologies has revolutionized the design and implementation of contemporary public relations practices, and this transformation can be attributed in the advent of new media. One of its features being social media, it has enabled people today to use Facebook, Instagram, twitter and blogs for promotion, communication, awareness and advertising. The advent of new media has presented both opportunities and challenges for Public Relations officials in effectively engaging with the new generation and adapting their working methods accordingly. In 2021, Instagram is being ranked 4th among all social media networks in the world having more than a billion monthly users and it remains being the popular one among the 6 networks in the world. New media has proven to not only help Public Relations practitioners showcase their ideas and activities on different platforms but they can also chat directly with the public, get instant feedback and build relationships with them. In this thesis, we will measure the impact of new media on public relations practices especially on Instagram, in communication faculties in both Sakarya University and Islamic University in Uganda.