YouTube and Philippine Politics

Key information

Date
Time
9:00 am to 11:00 am
Venue
Virtual Event

About this event

Dr Cheryll Ruth Soriano (De La Salle University, Manila)

High levels of engagement in politics are generally considered to be a sign of a healthy democracy, where the citizenry is empowered and interested in being involved in matters of the State. But is that always true?

In the Philippines, where a third of the 61 million-strong electorates are from the 18-35 age bracket, and for whom social media is often considered as a news source despite widespread disinformation, the answer may not be so simple.

Join Professor Cheryll Soriano on 18 November to explore YouTube's role in shaping the Filipino publics' political consciousness.

Abstract

In the analysis of social media's role in politics, YouTube has been overshadowed by the likes of Facebook or Twitter, perhaps due to the social imaginary of the platform as a space for broadcasting lifestyles and 'how to' videos. Yet, YouTube is increasingly a site for politics, and political actors are exploring ways to embed political messages into the platform's social and entertainment culture. Reported as the most used social network in a nation that has also consistently topped social media use globally, YouTube's role in shaping the Filipino publics' political consciousness necessitates a critical examination especially amid expansive digitalization, divisive politics, and a looming national election. This talk will examine YouTube as a socio-technical broker giving rise to new forms of political intermediation, curating political engagement and reformulating the political in this contemporary scene. Situating YouTube in 'hybrid media systems', I will characterize the mutually affirming relationship of platform mechanisms and locally-rooted cultures of use that drive alternative political influence networks capable of building and magnifying political narratives and agendas.

Speaker Biography

Dr Cheryll Ruth Soriano is Professor in Communication at De La Salle University, Manila. Her research examines digital cultures and the social and political implications of communication technologies. She authors the book (with E. Cabalquinto), YouTube and the Brokerage of Social Transactions in the Philippines (Amsterdam University Press, forthcoming), which examines the mediation of identity, intimacy, labor, and politics on YouTube. She co-edited the volume Asian Perspectives on Digital Cultures, Emerging Phenomena, Enduring Concepts (Routledge, 2016), and the Special Issue: The Dynamics of Digital Communication in the Philippines: Legacies and Potentials for Media International Australia (2021). As Principal Investigator for Fairwork Philippines, she also examines the conditions of labor and organizing in the gig economy.

About the PhilS4 Series

Sponsored by the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC), SOAS University of London, the University of the Philippines (UP), Diliman, and Humboldt University of Berlin, this virtual seminar series brings together social science experts from across the globe to discuss pressing issues facing the Philippines. In addition to providing an in-depth scholarly analysis of social issues in the Philippines, this series will foster new opportunities for networking between those working in the Philippines and around the world.

Registration

If you would like to attend the event please register. Online registration

Contact email: philippinestudies@soas.ac.uk