This study explores the best practices of the “Save the Bees” social media campaign. This paper seeks to identify whether or not the campaign tailored messages differently for newspaper and social media content, and whether social media messages increased or decreased public awareness as evidenced through reach and engagement. In addition to collecting data from one national media outlet, the New York Times, and one local media outlet, the Asheville Citizen-Times, data were also collected on the campaign hashtag #savethebees. Using a combination of data collection and in-depth interviews with bee specialists, this qualitative study intends to inform readers about the best practices exhibited by the “Save the Bees” campaign in its mission to educate the public about this environmental issue.
