Analysis on the Audience of Cross-Cultural Communication through Online Media Based on the Theory of Uses and Gratification - A Case Study of the Chinese Audience of Short Videos Published by Foreigners on Bilibili

Abstract

In recent years, with the rapid development of cultural globalization, foreigners have started to settle in Chinese short video platforms. A research on Bilibili reveals a large number of foreign UPs (video uploaders on Bilibili) that record their lives, introduce customs and habits of various countries, and respond to trending events. As the subjects of cross-cultural communication, they have attracted millions of Chinese audiences. In the new media environment, the status of the audiences in the process of media use is highlighted. A study of the audiences of short videos posted by foreign UPs on Chinese platforms represented by Bilibili will improve the understanding of the media use of this category of Chinese audiences. This study explores the demands and degrees of gratification of Chinese audiences under the theoretical frame of Uses and Gratification, so as to understand the effectiveness of cross-cultural communication by such videos through the online media as a communication channel. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. 150 valid questionnaires were obtained; 10 relevant users were interviewed. The results show that the personal motives of the audiences is basically satisfied; the knowledge of the audiences has increased and the cognitive perception of the audiences has been changed to a certain extent.