The Conditional Indirect Effects of Political Social Media Information Seeking and Expression on Government Evaluation in Hong Kong: Revisiting the Communication Mediation Model

Authors

  • Yan Su Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University
  • Danielle Ka Lai Lee Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University
  • Porismita Borah Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University

Keywords:

government evaluation, political social media information seeking, political social media expression, internal political efficacy, external political efficacy, democratic preference

Abstract

In Hong Kong, public discontent against the government has evolved into a series of civil disobedience campaigns in the past few years, and digital communication platforms served to channel public sentiments and shape collective action. Grounded in the communication mediation model, this study analyzed the Asian Barometer Survey (ABS) data. Findings show that political social media expression was negatively associated with government evaluation. Moreover, internal political efficacy was negatively associated with government evaluation, and it also mediated the associations between both political social media information seeking and expression, and government evaluation. External political efficacy was positively associated with government evaluation, whereas it only mediated the association between information seeking and government evaluation. Furthermore, democratic preference was found to be a significant moderator upon which the association between expression and government evaluation operated via internal political efficacy was contingent. Our findings provide insights into understandings of social movements.

Author Biographies

Yan Su, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University

Yan Su (corresponding author) is a PhD candidate in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. His research focuses on emerging communication technology in the context of politics and science. Email: suyan91514@gmail.com. Tel: +1 323-369-6088

Danielle Ka Lai Lee, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University

Danielle Ka Lai Lee is a PhD candidate in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University. Her research interests are emerging media technology and health communication.

Porismita Borah, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University

Porismita Borah is an Associate Professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University. Her research focuses on emerging technology in the context of politics and health.

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Published

2021-01-01

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Section

Articles