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Abstract This study examines short videos sourced from the Douyin accounts of Chinese central and local news agencies spanning the period from 2018 to 2023, aiming to shed light on the dynamics of visual propaganda within social media and short-form video content. A comprehensive analysis of 2852 short videos was undertaken, focusing on prevalent themes, visual motifs, and emotional persuasion techniques. The results delineate a divergence in focus between central and local news agencies: while the former prioritizes content related to the military, police, and firefighting, the latter emphasizes “livelihood warmth” topics. Central agencies predominantly feature soldiers, police officers, and firefighters, whereas local agencies portray individuals devoid of explicit political affiliations alongside other influencers. Emotional scrutiny unveils a contrast in strategies, with central agencies predominantly evoking emotions such as anger, disgust, fear, and intolerance, while local agencies employ anticipation, acceptance, and respect. This investigation underscores the profound influence of political authority within China’s propaganda framework, shaping both the substance and emotional resonance of political short videos within a hierarchical paradigm.
Zhao et al. (Wed,) studied this question.