Reconstructing Public Governance in a “Multimedia Landscape”:Policy Agenda Construction in the Short Video Era

Abstract

The communication ecology of short videos and their emotional mobilization are reshaping public policy agenda setting and challenging traditional governance models. Existing studies tend to focus on either media technology or governance theory, rarely integrating both to explain how digital platforms alter power structures and mobilization mechanisms. This study examines the “Pre-packaged Meals in Schools” controversy, combining media ecology and governance theories, and employs functional roles and content framing to analyze the construction of public issues. Findings show that: (1) agenda formation has shifted
from official-driven processes to a grassroots-triggered paradigm, reflecting a shift from static status power to dynamic functional power; (2) emotional mobilization presents a paradox: content that most effectively sparks public interaction is not direct emotional appeals, but seemingly objective news/event frames that provide space for representing multiple social contradictions. By treating platform technology and emotional environment as endogenous to governance, this study offers a perspective on the evolution of opinion leaders, complex emotional mobilization, and collaborative governance in the digital era.