社会化媒体时代的全球传播图景:基于Twitter媒介机构账号的社会网络分析

Global Communication Landscape in the Social Media Age:A Social Network Analysis of Media Organizations on Twitter

社会化媒体时代发展以来,国际传播关系与全球传播格局也随之发生历时性变迁。在Twitter这一全球性公共传播场域中,各国媒介机构形成了紧密联系的线上社会网络。其中,发达国家的媒介机构仍在国际传播关系上占据优势地位,但发展中国家的媒介机构也在通过策略性的社会化媒体实践突破其在全球传播格局中的边缘化地位。除了所在大洲的发达程度外,社会化媒体使用程度也对各国媒介机构在该网络内的社会资本具有显著的正向影响。此外,体现地理接近性和文化接近性的国家因素能够显著预测媒介机构之间的双向链接关系。中国在Twitter上的跨国化媒介机构账号数量已经位列全球第三,但在整体的社会资本上仍处于弱势地位,这表明中国在国际传播影响力方面还有较大的提升空间。

This study aims to investigate international communication relationship and global communication landscape in the social media age.Based on social network analysis and the visualization of global media organization network on Twitter,this study examines and visualizes the structure of the global media organization network on Twitter,explores factors that influence the social capital and reciprocal relationship of media organizations,reveals the position of Chinese media organizations in this global network,and provides insights for China's international communication practices in the social media space.The results of this study showthat global media organizations form a highly connected network on Twitter. While media organizations from developed countries still hold dominating positions in the network,those from developing countries begin to change their peripheral status in the global communication landscape by strategic social media use.The extent of economic development of the continent and the degree of social media use are positively associated with the social capital of media organizations.The country,an indicator of geographical and cultural proximity can also predict reciprocated vertex pair ratio of these organizations.Chinese media organizations,including the Xinhua News Agency,China Daily and CCTV,have opened English verified accounts on Twitter,indicating China's active motivations and practices to enhance international communication capacity in social media field.The number of Chinese transnational media organization accounts on Twitter ranks the third globally.The social capital of these accounts,however,is relatively low,and these accounts only have reciprocal relationships with media organizations from Asia or Africa.It indicates a huge room of improvement for China's international communication power.In this sense,Chinese media organizations should take the following steps:(1)improve its verified account number and operation on global social media,and increase news reporting about international affairs that employs the reporting style of Western favored journalism professionalism to spread China's voices through international news flow;(2)enhance the close connections with media organizations from Asia and Africa,develop reciprocal relationship with developed countries to strengthen the social capital of Chinese media organizations;(3)independently develop global and international social media platforms,and in doing so,seek advantageous positions in the global digital communication arena.