Multiple Exposures: How the Indonesian Embassies Construct Differentiated Digital Diplomatic Images on Weibo and X
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: This study takes 888 posts published by the Indonesian Embassies' accounts in China and the United States from July 2023 to June 2026 as a sample. Using content analysis and parallel text comparison, it examines how one country presents different self-images to audiences in different major powers, looking at three dimensions: media form, issue framing, and digital diplomatic identity. The results show that media forms vary systematically with platform features (V = 0.646). The Weibo account uses more videos and encourages user interaction, while the X account mainly posts original pictures and texts and builds connections through @ mentions. Issue frameworks are chosen to fit the environment of the host country (V = 0.470 and 0.430). The Weibo account focuses on cultural tourism topics and cultural frames, while the X account gives more attention to economic and trade cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cooperation frames. When facing the same major diplomatic event involving the same state actor had markedly different visibility and framing across the two accounts, the two accounts choose completely different content to report, presenting two distinct interactional styles that approximate a casual "explainer and organizer" persona on Weibo and a formal "official speaker and community member" persona on X (V = 0.488). On Weibo, Indonesia appears as a friendly and open tourist destination that welcomes public participation; on X, it appears as a reliable and professional partner for cooperation. had markedly different visibility and framing across the two accounts and its hedging strategy in image communication. The findings suggest that the national image in digital diplomacy is not a single "national selfie", but a "multiple exposure" that changes with platforms and audiences.
Source: Research Square
Authors: Jiahui Zeng, Luyang Li
Institution: Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225835283