Use of Social Media to Create Public Opinion: Content Analysis of Social Media Shares of Political Actors in the Process of the T.C. Constitutional Changes Referendum Dated 16 April 2017

While the formative and transformative influence of the media on society continues at an accelerating pace and violence, public opinion has been among the first articles of the political actors’ agendas. In the period from the spread of digital transformation to the masses, the mass media (newspapers, magazines, tv, radio, etc.) are no longer considered to be accessible to all audiences without the use of digital media. Today, social media is one of the first of these digital mass channels. Social mediam makes it important to go over time and space and to have a high influence on fast and instant sharing and to organize large masses in a simple and cost-free way. The purpose of this research, to determine the role of social media in the direction of the goals of both individuals and institutional structures in today’s world, and then the four political leaders of the election campaign of the 16 April 2017 Constitution Referendum in the period of 01-16 April 2017 (15 days before the referendum) R. Tayyip ERDO？AN and Prime Minister Binali YILDIRIM, MHP leader Devlet BAH？EL？ and CHP leader Kemal KILI？DARO？LU) to understand and determine which social media channels and how and how they use them through qualitative research methods through content analysis. The determination and analysis of the findings and results of the study during the relevant election campaign, whether the political parties and leaders of the campaign are using the social media effectively, adequately and efficiently is important as it may be the source of the subsequent campaign plans