Communication and Media in Asia Pacific (CMAP)

From Audience Commodity to Promotion Struggles: A Political Economy Approach to YouTube

2026-04-20T11:26:53+07:00

Although YouTube presents itself as a platform for participatory communication and creative self-expression, it has also become one of the most profitable infrastructures in the global digital advertising economy. This transformation reveals a fundamental tension between YouTube’s participatory discourse, often summarized by the slogan Broadcast Yourself, and its underlying political economic logic. Building on the tradition of the audience commodity thesis, this article argues that YouTube represents a new stage in the commodification of participation in digital capitalism. While existing scholarship has largely explained this process through the framework of digital labor and prosumer commodification, this perspective does not fully capture how platforms organize competition among users for visibility and attention. To address this limitation, the article introduces the concept of promotion struggles, defined as competitive processes through which users attempt to capture and monetize scarce attention within algorithmically structured platform environments. Using a conceptual political economy analysis of YouTube as a case study, the article shows how recommendation systems and advertising infrastructures transform participation into continuous competition for visibility. In this environment, the promise of Broadcast Yourself increasingly evolves into a new imperative: Promote Yourself.

Understanding Social Media Content Virality: A Study of Youth Perceptions in Bangladesh

2025-11-26T15:15:51+07:00

Digital communication has positioned social media as a primary platform for information dissemination, enabling content to spread rapidly among large audiences. The viral nature of this phenomenon has intensified in recent years, motivating this study to identify the key factors driving virality, with particular attention to the context of Bangladesh. A central focus is how Bangladeshi youth perceive and engage with viral social media content. Findings reveal that emotional triggers--such as happiness, anger, sadness, shock or controversy, humor, and entertainment--significantly increase the likelihood of content going viral. Influencers and celebrities further amplify this process by shaping and promoting content. The study also shows that individuals are more inclined to share material that resonates with their personal beliefs, though misleading or false information can achieve virality due to insufficient scrutiny. Additionally, brands and companies often exploit viral content as a strategic tool to promote their products.

Journalism in the 21st Century: Evolution, Functions, and Challenges

2025-11-27T10:35:34+07:00

This article traces the historical trajectory of communication technologies, from the printing press and industrial‑age mass media to digital platforms and artificial intelligence, to examine how each wave has reshaped media systems, professional practices, and communicative power structures. Journalism has long served as a cornerstone of public communication, holding actors accountable and sustaining the deliberative sphere essential to democracy. Yet contemporary journalism faces profound structural challenges: the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, declining trust in legacy news organizations, and mounting economic pressures within platform‑driven ecosystems. These developments are not merely crises of content quality but signal a reconfiguration of communicative authority, as control over visibility, distribution, and credibility shifts from editorial judgment to algorithmic systems and platform governance. In response, the article introduces the concept of hybrid journalism, where technological innovation is integrated with human judgment, professional ethics, and civic responsibility. Practical strategies include strengthening media literacy, advancing data‑driven storytelling, and fostering participatory journalism alongside constructive news practices. The study concludes that journalism’s durability depends not only on technological adaptation but also on the regeneration of legitimacy, transparency, and its civic role as a democratic institution.

Chinese Consumer Response to AI Functions on Online Secondhand Platforms

2026-02-23T10:27:11+07:00

This study examines Chinese consumers’ perceptions of AI functions on online secondhand platforms and their impact on purchase intention. Drawing on the technology acceptance model and perceived cyber risk, the research investigates perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived enjoyment (PE), perceived cyber risk (PCR), and purchase intention (PI). A quantitative survey of 200 mainland Chinese consumers with prior experience or intent to use AI functions on secondhand platforms employed correlation and multiple regression analyses. Results indicate moderate levels of PEU (M = 2.83) and PCR (M = 2.85), high PU (M = 3.08), and relatively low PI (M = 2.19). Regression findings show that only PEU and PCR significantly predict PI, with PEU emerging as the strongest positive predictor (β = 0.270) and PCR exerting a negative effect (β = −0.261). The model accounts for 30.2% of the variance in PI (adjusted R² = 0.302). These findings highlight the importance of user‑friendly AI design that minimizes consumer effort in secondhand shopping, alongside transparent and trustworthy data practices that mitigate privacy and security concerns, thereby enhancing consumer confidence in AI‑mediated secondhand commerce.

Adapting to a New Environment: Mental Health Challenges Among South Asian International Students in Bangladesh

2026-02-24T11:12:52+07:00

The mental health of international students has become a pressing global concern, with significant implications for academic success and overall well‑being. This qualitative study explores the mental health challenges faced by international students at Khulna University, Bangladesh, focusing on stressors, coping strategies, and institutional support. Using in‑depth interviews, fourteen purposively sampled students were engaged until data saturation was reached. Thematic analysis conducted with NVivo 14 revealed multiple challenges, including academic pressure, language barriers, cultural adjustment difficulties, and limited access to mental health resources. Personal and social issues, such as isolation from family and changes in food habits, further intensified psychological stress. Despite these difficulties, students reported effective coping mechanisms, including leisure activities, supportive peer relationships, and regular communication with family. Participants also emphasized the importance of institutional support, particularly accessible mental health services and motivational interactions with faculty, in fostering resilience and well‑being. The findings underscore the need for universities to design tailored interventions and holistic support systems that address the unique challenges of international students. Future research should examine the perspectives of policymakers in international offices to identify service gaps and improve communication between institutions and international students.

Indonesian Gay Men’s Perceptions of Thailand as a Gay‑friendly Destination

2025-12-01T10:03:06+07:00

Thailand is widely perceived by Indonesian gay men as a gay friendly destination that offers spaces for social interaction and the expression of sexual identity. Despite its popularity, limited research has examined how these perceptions are shaped and the social, cultural, and media influences behind them. This study employed a qualitative design using in depth interviews with 15 Indonesian gay men, aged 18-45, who had travelled to Thailand and participated in LGBTQ+ activities. The findings highlight three key themes: 1) respondents generally view Thailand as welcoming and progressive; 2) media representations, particularly Boys’ Love/Yaoi (BL/Y) series, along with events such as Pride parades and the Songkran Festival, strongly influence these perceptions; and 3) while some participants experience internal conflict due to Indonesia’s cultural and religious norms, others reconcile these tensions and express confidence in embracing their identities. Collectively, the study contributes to the growing literature on LGBTQ+ tourism and offers practical implications for destination marketing and development in Thailand.