This study examines Chinese environmental nongovernmental organizations’ (ENGO) use of a microblogging platform Weibo and the factors that contribute to sharing of their messages. By employing the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) of information processing and through a content analysis of ENGOs’ Weibo posts, the study finds that the posts that have more followers and followees and those charged with negative emotions and containing dialogic content are more likely to be shared. More importantly, the results show that government-organized NGOs (GONGOs) and grassroots NGOs differ significantly in the application of Weibo strategies. The study suggests that GONGOs garner more reposts when releasing dialogic content, while grassroots NGOs benefit more from informational content and messages advocating environmental activism and consumerism. The results shed light on understanding social media strategies of Chinese ENGOs, and provide practical implications for the strategic use of Weibo in future environmental campaigns.

This study examines how different ways of presenting information about the ecological threats stemming from the use of disposable plastics may affect people’s willingness to reduce their use. To test our hypotheses, we used a 2 × 3 × 2 between-subjects experimental design, utilizing a sample of 1001 Hong Kong residents. The independent variables tested included: (a) message frame (gain vs. loss), (b) modality (text vs. image vs. infographic), and (c) information source (government vs. non-governmental organization). The findings demonstrate that the loss frame was more effective than the gain frame in persuading participants to reduce the use of disposable plastics. Furthermore, compared to image-based messages, text-based and infographic-based messages were more effective in promoting the reduction in the use of disposable plastics. For information sources, however, we found no main effect on behavioral intentions. However, this study still suggests an interaction effect of the loss frame and NGO source, as well as the interaction between text-based modality and government source, both leading to more positive outcomes. Furthermore, the study reveals that negative emotional responses mediate the effect of media frames on behavioral intentions. The findings offer useful insights for designing more effective communication campaigns aimed at curbing the use of disposable plastics.

This study was conducted to examine the factors that affect the media visibility of environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGO) in China. Specifically, we examine the ways in which environmental advocacy and media use behaviors are related to the level of attention an ENGO receives from news media. Using data derived from a content analysis of 2158 media reports by 171 ENGOs across China and other sources, the results showed that ENGOs that have an official website and use Weibo garner more media attention than those who do not have a website or use Weibo. Most importantly, the results indicate differences between environmental activism and environmental consumerism in facilitating the media visibility of different types of ENGOs. Compared to government-organized ENGOs, grassroots ENGOs benefit more from participating in environmental consumerist advocacy and having an official website. The findings demonstrate the importance of using various strategies to increase organizational visibility in news media and highlighting the differences between using websites, Weibo, and WeChat in facilitating the media visibility of ENGOs in China.

Zhongyong (golden mean) is a typical Oriental Confucius thought that addresses interpersonal harmony and interdependence. A moderated mediating model was used in this study to examine the relationship between Zhongyong and environmental behavior. The results of our model showed that Zhongyong was positively associated with environmental behavior. In comparison to people with lower levels of Zhongyong, respondents with higher levels of Zhongyong had a significantly higher scores for collective efficacy, personal norms, and environmental behavior. Furthermore, Zhongyong indirectly influenced environmental behavior through collective efficacy and personal norms. More importantly, we introduced two extrinsic moderator variables: environmental concerns and interpersonal communication. The reasons Zhongyong works and how to take advantage of this Oriental cultural heritage to promote an individual’s pro-environmental willingness are further discussed.

The rapid development of digital media as a major platform for news consumption has stimulated a variety of debates about how journalism is changing in the internet era. With a gate open to user-generated content (UGC), there are increasing concerns that the editors’ gatekeeping role would be eroded. This study examines the roles of editors and users in post-publication gatekeeping by conducting cross-lagged analysis of news ranking on Chinese digital native media. The sample comprised of 2412 unique news items from Pear Video. Our findings reaffirm that between editors and users there is a disparity of interest while ranking public and non-public affairs. Differing from prior studies, this study observes that editors rank news items of non-public affairs higher while users rank items of public affairs higher. More importantly, this study discloses that editors and users practice different gatekeeping mechanisms under differential UGC news topics. They tend to agree with each other on the news ranking of non-public affairs while run in opposite directions on the news ranking of public affairs. The reasons for and implications of post-publication gatekeeping theory are also discussed.