Digital Media and Public Diplomacy: Analysing Bernama’s Twitter News Framing During Malaysia’s GE-15

This study investigates the relationship between digital media and public diplomacy focusing on Bernama’s Twitter (now X) coverage during Malaysia’s 15th General Election (GE-15). Bernama’s Twitter account acted as a critical tool for disseminating information and framing political events, reinforcing government messaging while engaging with a diverse audience. By using a mixed-methods approach, this study combines quantitative content analysis of tweets tagged with #PRU15Bernama and qualitative interviews with Bernama’s digital desk editors to explore media framing techniques, news tone, source selection and coverage slant. The quantitative analysis uses the framing framework established by Semetko and Valkenburg (2000), systematically categorizing tweets based on frame analysis, sentiment assessment and political bias evaluation. In contrast, qualitative interviews provide insights into editorial decision-making, framing rationales and the challenges faced in politically-sensitive content management. The complementary nature of the mixed-methods approach enriches the understanding of Bernama’s election coverage, revealing patterns such as the distribution of coverage across political parties and the predominant story types. By integrating quantitative findings with qualitative insights, this study explains how government-linked media navigate the complexities of digital platforms, maintaining journalistic integrity amid institutional pressures. Ultimately, this study contributes to the discourse on media’s evolving role in public diplomacy and its impact on shaping political outcomes in the digital age.