Screens of Sorrow, Echoes of Spirit: Transcultural Mourning and Affective Fandom Publics Across Chinese and Western Platforms Over 5 Years

This study investigates how affective fandom publics construct transcultural mourning communities following Kobe Bryant ’s death. Drawing on 5 years of data from Reddit and Baidu Tieba, it examines how digital grief evolves across platforms and cultures. The analysis integrates theories of affective publics, fandom, and online mourning to conceptualize these publics as emotionally durable collectives shaped by cultural values and platform rituals. Findings reveal distinct mourning modes: Western discourse emphasizes personal storytelling and emotional immediacy, while Chinese discourse highlights ritual and symbolic continuity. Over time, both shift from public spectacle to sustained emotional practice, transforming grief into identity-making and collective memory work. This study contributes to affect theory, digital mourning research, and sports communication by revealing how mourning unfolds not only across platforms but also through time and culture.