Media Organizations’ Interaction Mechanism of “Belt and Road” Issue on X(Twitter): An Empirical Analysis Based on Exponential Random Graph Model
SHI Wei HUANG Wenxin
Author information+
Shi Wei is a doctoral candidate of School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao
Tong University. Email: shiwei1509871@163.com.
Huang Wenxin is a doctoral candidate of State Key Laboratory of Media Convergence and
Communication, Communication University of China. Email: huangwenxin971120@163.com.
International communication should not only emphasize “what” and “how” to say, but also the creation and maintenance of “relationship”. Utilizing the exponential random graph model (ERGM) as a framework and taking the “Belt and Road” issue as a case, this study
investigates the impact of “emotion” and “identity” attributes of media organizations on the
creation of relationships between media accounts on X(Twitter). The results show that, from
the perspective of emotion, negative emotion inhibits the sending of interactions, that is, media
dominated by negative emotion show a tendency of monologue-style speech; positive emotion
has a homogeneous effect, and media dominated by positive emotion forms a tightly-connected
“emotional community”. From the perspective of identity, the identity of “Media in Belt and
Road Cooperation Countries” facilitates the sending of interactions; the common regional
identity has a homogeneous effect, which results in the creation of a closely-knit “regional
identity community”. Theoretically, the study elucidates the mechanisms by which emotions
and identity attributes influence interactions among media. Practically, the study provides
insights into how to conduct international communication from a “relational” perspective.
SHI Wei HUANG Wenxin.
Media Organizations’ Interaction Mechanism of “Belt and Road” Issue on X(Twitter): An Empirical Analysis Based on Exponential Random Graph Model. Chinese Journal of Journalism & Communication. 2025, 47(1): 155-176