.jpg)
VOLUME 5, ISSUE 2
August 2025
Shafezah Abdul Wahab
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Melaka, Malaysia
Muhammad Hakimi Tew Abdullah
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
Amirul Mohd Sajadi
National News Agency (BERNAMA), Malaysia
ABSTRACT
The integration of social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) into election coverage has transformed the dynamics of information dissemination and political communication. X’s real-time interactivity provides a crucial space for political discourse allowing insights into how news agencies engage with the public during elections. This study investigates Bernama’s use of Twitter during the Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election in Malaysia (2024), examining how the national news agency’s tweets reflect media framing practices and influence voter perceptions. Through a quantitative content analysis of 68 tweets, the study categorises and evaluates the presence of framing constructs, identifying responsibility, human interest, conflict and morality frames as dominant while economic concerns were notably the least used by Bernama. This selective framing indicates a shift in the media narrative away from fundamental voter issues, potentially affecting public understanding of electoral priorities. The study contributes to understanding how government-linked media use framing strategies on social media to shape electoral discourse, offering implications for digital political communication, media accountability and the evolving role of public news agencies in Malaysia’s democratic process.
Keywords: Media Framing, Social Media, X (Twitter), By-Election, BERNAMA
​
Ng Wei Liang
Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
Wei Zhang
Minzu University of China, China
ABSTRACT
With the fast development of technological innovation, the way people access information and news is undergoing profound changes. This paper looks at the Uses and Gratifications (U&G) theoretical framework, to explore the choices of Malaysian young adults for multimedia features on online news. Previous research on multimedia integration has in general targeted newsroom innovation practices and institutional mechanisms but lacks studies on how younger adults use and compare multimedia elements of their information intake. To address this studies gap, this paper employed a qualitative research method, accomplishing semi structure, text-based interviews with (n=12) 12 young adult informants aged 18 to 25 from different regions of Malaysia. Thematic analysis was performed using ATLAS.ti, combining deductive coding totally based on uses and gratifications. The outcomes discovered five interrelated themes:(1) Convenience-driven – push notifications and algorithms seamlessly embed news into day-to-day life; (2) visual as a cognitive tool – infographics and video reports correctly simplify complex statistics and information; (3) emotional resonance mechanism – immersive and localised multimedia content can evoke empathy and hold interest; (4) social connection and identity creation – commenting and sharing capabilities support peer networks and cultural identification; (5) credibility assessment system – younger audiences significantly look at news supply transparency and sensationalism. This look has a couple of theoretical values: it no longer only confirms the continued relevance of the " use of and gratifications" concept in explaining virtual news consumption but also exhibits how technological affordances reshape audiences' mental gratification mechanisms. In practice, new businesses should adhere to a consumer-targeted design concept and focus on the clarity and credibility of content; educators and policymakers must work collectively to improve the general public's media literacy and cultivate their potential to think significantly about audiovisual content. In summary, the effects strongly propose that it is crucial to include digital media literacy as a part of a country’s development.
Keywords: multimedia news, uses and gratifications, young adults, qualitative research, Malaysia
Md. Rozalafri Johori
Universiti Islam Selangor, Malaysia
Nursyamimi Harun
Universiti Islam Selangor, Malaysia
Rahmahtunnisah Sailin
Universiti Islam Selangor, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
The expansion of digital media ecosystems has disrupted conventional assumptions about how communication knowledge is taught, practiced and legitimised in Malaysian higher education. Rather than a technical gap, curriculum challenges emerge from how institutions, educators and industry interpret and negotiate digital change. This study aims to interpret how Malaysian communication academics perceive and negotiate curriculum reform in the digital media era through their lived experiences, professional practices and institutional constraints. Guided by a phenomenological orientation, data were collected through a 90-minute online focus group discussion with six senior academics who each possessed at least ten years of teaching experience and prior industry engagement. Analysis followed reflexive thematic procedures to surface meaning clusters grounded in participants lived realities. Five interrelated themes emerged. First, curriculum responsiveness was understood as uneven negotiation with digital disruption, reflecting disparities in institutional pace and epistemic confidence. Second, accreditation was described as a guardrail that becomes restrictive when internalised through hierarchical governance and siloed cultures. Third, participants positioned human competencies such as judgement, ethics and relational sensitivity as strategic capital that cannot be automated. Fourth, industry engagement was interpreted as epistemic practice, where identity and credibility are shaped through immersion rather than procedural internship schemes. Finally, digital transformation destabilised educators themselves, producing vulnerability that catalysed reflexive professionalism. These findings reframe curriculum reform as an interpretive process enacted through lived experience, institutional logics and professional identity, rather than a linear exercise in technological upgrading.
Keywords: Curriculum, Communication, Media Studies, Media Industry, Digital Media
Kuwi Hoi New
Southern Universiti College, Malaysia
Jing Xuan Chang
Southern Universiti College, Malaysia
ABSTRACT
This study examines how WhatsApp users’ demographic characteristics influence the frequency of profile picture updates, preferred picture types, and underlying motivations. A quantitative design using a questionnaire distributed through convenience sampling, yielding 316 responses. Drawing on Impression Management Theory, the research explores how users construct self-presentation and identity expression in digital contexts. The results show that demographic factors such as age, race, religion, education, and professional status, significantly affect the frequency of profile picture updates (p < .05). Differences in picture type preferences were also evident: younger users (18 – 25) favoured cartoon or anime images, while older users (34 – 57) preferred group photos. ANOVA with Tukey HSD post-hoc tests identified the group contributing to these variations. Motivations likewise differed by demographic factors--gender, age, and professional status shaped choices, with female users more likely to select images they liked (p = .030), younger users choosing pictures “Just for fun” and older users were motivated by meaningful causes. Race and religion also influenced motivations, reflecting cultural and belief-based self-presentation practices. Overall, the findings support hypotheses and align with the research objectives. The study offers theoretical insight into impression management and practical guidance.
Keywords: Identity Expression, Demographic, Profile Pictures, WhatsApp, Impression Management
Abdulrasheed Ajibola Saadudeen
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Lawal Olalekan Olohungbebe
Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria
Adesina Lukuman Azeez
University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
Community engagement is increasingly recognised as a foundation for participatory development, particularly in settings where trust in government is fragile. With the rise of digital platforms, social media has become a prominent space for dialogue between communities and institutions. This study focuses on representatives of Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) who utilise social media for development deliberation. Anchored on Social Capital Theory, this study examines how social media use, community engagement strategies, and trust interact in shaping development outcomes among CBOs in Kwara State, Nigeria. A quantitative survey of 380 CBO representatives across 16 Local Government Areas was conducted using validated instruments measuring social media use, social capital, engagement strategies, and perceived trust. Reliability tests indicated acceptable internal consistency, and analysis included regression, correlation, mediation, and ANOVA techniques. Results showed that social media use strongly predicted social capital, affirming its role in fostering coordination and collective responsibility. Community engagement strategies were also positively associated with both social media use and stakeholders’ perceived trust, underscoring the importance of inclusive governance. However, social media did not mediate the link between engagement strategies and trust, suggesting that trust remains rooted in transparency and offline accountability mechanisms. Further, no significant differences in trust were observed across Local Government Areas, indicating systemic rather than context-specific challenges. The study contributes to debates on hybrid engagement models by clarifying that while social media enhances coordination, enduring trust must be earned through genuine participatory practices. Practical implications highlight the need for institutionalising transparent engagement frameworks and strengthening CBO capacity to integrate online and offline strategies.
Keywords: social media, social capital, trust, community-based organisation, community engagement
agement
Usman Ibrahim Dabai
Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto, Nigeria
Alhaji Aliyu Yusuf
Usmanu Danfodiyo University,Sokoto, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The multifaceted costs and benefits experienced at the individual, family, national, and host-country levels are the focus of this study, which explores the dynamics of Nigerian youth migration to Malaysia. The goal of the study is to examine how the larger context of South-South movement influences social mobility, economic results, and transnational interactions. The study uses a qualitative-descriptive methodology to investigate the potential and difficulties presented by this migratory trend, drawing on secondary data sources, statistical reports, and theoretical ideas from migration literature. The results show that migrating to Malaysia gives young Nigerians opportunities for international networking, skill development, revenue generating, and higher education. Remittances significantly enhance family wellbeing and promote upward social mobility at the household level. At the national level, Malaysia benefits from foreign education fees, skilled labour, and consumer spending, while Nigeria benefits from diaspora engagement and financial inflows. The report lists a number of drawbacks to migration, such as discrimination, social exclusion, and migrant irregularities in legal status. While Nigeria faces talent loss and brain drain, families left behind frequently endure emotional suffering and financial dependence. Increasing xenophobic sentiments and migrant integration are issues for Malaysia. According to the study's findings, young migration from Nigeria to Malaysia represents a paradox of development. The report suggests coordinated bilateral migration policies, better migrant protection frameworks, returnee reintegration programs, and increased investment in youth employment in Nigeria. These tactics are necessary to turn migration into a long-term force for both national and human development.
Keywords: Nigerian youth, Migration, remittances, brain drain, South–South mobility