Network Agenda Setting Between Vertical and Horizontal Media: A Case Study of the Russia–Ukraine War From China

The Russia–Ukraine war has transcended the physical battlefield, evolving into an information warfare fought among various actors in the digital sphere. This study used agenda setting framework to investigate the interaction between vertical and horizontal media on Chinese social media Weibo during the Russia–Ukraine war. Utilizing big data analysis, the study analyzed 746,364 posts and revealed a complementary relationship: (1) vertical media exerted significant influence over issues of high political sensitivity, while horizontal media demonstrated intermedia agenda setting (IAS) effects predominantly on contextual issues; (2) substantive attribute networks differed substantially between the two media types; (3) vertical media exerted strong one-way IAS effects on affective attribute networks. The study contributes to agenda setting research by refining core concept operationalization, proposing an integrated method, and offering empirical evidence.