Analyzing the Communication of Poverty Governance: A Study of Multimodal News Framing and Engagement on Chinese TikTok

Abstract

Poverty communication is a critical yet challenging aspect of promoting sustainable development goals (SDGs) globally. This study explores poverty-related news narratives on Douyin (China’s TikTok) and examines their impact on user engagement (likes, shares, and comments). The primary objective is to refine communication strategies aimed at alleviating poverty. Drawing primarily on the news framing theory, this study analyzes 400 short-video news from Douyin in 2020 through regression analysis, complemented by insights from Chinese mobile news practitioners. Findings suggest that episodic-gain coverage, which emphasizes real-life scenarios and individual determination, effectively engages users. Visual framing devices, including action-driven and speech-driven opening scenes, captivate viewers and mobilize social support. Additionally, this study reveals that storytelling redundancy enhances news engagement by improving perceptual fluency in short videos. Moreover, tailored rhetorical strategies for short videos, such as subjective expressions and question-based headlines, further evoke the exchange of users’ social values. In conclusion, Douyin plays a central role in the ongoing process of media convergence in China. The study explores how platforms such as Douyin can promote SDGs, encourage public participation in addressing poverty and social care, and provide valuable insights for news content creators seeking to enhance storytelling and engagement in mobile media.

Keywords:

• News framing
• mobile short-video journalism
• SGDs communication
• poverty relief
• Douyin

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Scientific Research Startup Project for Talent Introduction of Guizhou University of Finance and Economics, Project No. 2023YJ09.