Legitimizing video-sharing practices on local and global platforms: A multimodal analysis of menu design, folk genres and taxonomy

Leticia Tian Zhang, Sumin Zhao

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

There have been extensive public and academic debates on the role platform algorithms play in shaping social media (sub)cultures. Little attention, however, has been paid to how platform (sub)cultures are discursively constructed by the design of the platform interface. This study examines Bilibili, a leading Chinese video platform, and investigates how it discursively frames video-sharing culture through platform menu design. We developed a three-level analytical framework that includes: 1) a multimodal social semiotic analysis of Bilibili’s menu design; 2) a contrastive analysis of YouTube’s video menu, and 3) a focused analysis of guichu or kichiku videos (as a linguistic phenomenon, a transcultural practice, and a multimodal semiotic artifact). Our findings reveal that Bilibili discursively frames and legitimizes video-sharing practices by establishing a folk taxonomy of video genres and integrating subculture into its menu design. Furthermore, Bilibili controls access to cultural knowledge through explicit (gatekeeping) and implicit (semiotic) measures, in contrast to YouTube’s visual and superficial taxonomy. This study unveils different discursive strategies platforms use to shape unique online video cultures.
Original languageEnglish
JournalDiscourse & Communication
Early online date29 Apr 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 29 Apr 2024

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • platform studies
  • platform governance
  • multimodal social semiotics
  • Bilibili
  • YouTube

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Legitimizing video-sharing practices on local and global platforms: A multimodal analysis of menu design, folk genres and taxonomy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this