Erickson, Marisa2020-08-252020-08-252020-05https://hdl.handle.net/11299/214991University of Minnesota M.A. thesis. May 2020. Major: Mass Communication. Advisor: Sherri Katz. 1 computer file (PDF); 56 pages.This study discusses the use of the social media platform Twitter by Fortune 100 companies. A random sample of the 2019 Twitter posts of 20 Fortune 100 companies over 30 days are collected. These posts are analyzed using a new theoretical model, titled The Three Faces of Corporate Social Media Use, as adapted from Grunig’s (1984) Four Models of Public Relations. According to Grunig (1992), the best model for companies to utilize is a two-way symmetrical model that promotes openness, trust, and understanding between organizations and their audiences. Contrasting that idea, this research found that companies most often use posts that are self-promotional, in that the posts carry messages that are promoting aspects of the company or are marketing a product or service.enFortune 500 companiesGrunig’s four models of public relationspublic relationssocial mediaTwitterThesis or Dissertation