Two stories: the emergence of the Vietnamese social media

Abstract

Should social media be constructed as a Trojan horse (as its detractors fear) or the Flame of Prometheus (as its proponents argue)? Social media take-up in Vietnam arouses both hope and scepticism, and becomes an innovative tool for critical matters. This article examines the blogosphere in Vietnam through a comparative study of the Vietnamese blogosphere and state media. The research found that while state media operate as a voice of the agents of the state, social media provide a means to capture the voice of the community and to participate in public discussion through commentary to posts, as well as a platform for those who want to speak out. As a result, there is a tension between the reporting of general information and the voice of state agencies in state media. The ‘two stories’ that emerge in some political and social issues are told through different approaches and perspectives.

Keywords

blogosphere civil society political participation public sphere social media Vietnamese media

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