COMMUNICATION POWER OF MONGOLIAN-LANGUAGE NEWS MEDIA ON DOUYIN IN INNER MONGOLIA

Danish Scientific Journal No102, 2025 85 COMMUNICATION POWER OF MONGOLIAN-LANGUAGE NEWS MEDIA ON DOUYIN IN INNER MONGOLIA Tana PhD Student in Journalism and Mass Communication National University of Mongolia Ulaanbaatar https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17740998 Abstract With the rapid expansion of digital communication technologies, Douyin has become a key platform for Mongolian-language news media in Inner Mongolia to disseminate information, guide public opinion, and support cultural transmission. Using the Douyin Communication Index (DCI) V1.0, this study analyzes 6,208 videos posted by ten Mongolian-language news media accounts over the past 730 days. The results reveal significant disparities in dissemination power: while autonomous region–level and several prefecture-level accounts hold clear advantages, many local accounts demonstrate uneven performance, and radio/television accounts lag behind in digital adaptation. The findings provide empirical evidence for improving digital communication strategies and strengthening public opinion guidance in ethnic minority regions. Keywords: Mongolian-language news media; Douyin; communication power; DCI model 1.Introduction As social media continues to proliferate, Douyin has increasingly become a crucial platform for Mongolian-language news media in Inner Mongolia to expand their influence, shape public discourse, and better serve Mongolian-speaking audiences.In recent years, the Douyin accounts of official Mongolian-language media in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region have developed rapidly, making full use of this popular short video platform to widely disseminate Mongolian culture, news, and social dynamics. Since its launch on September 20, 2016, Inner Mongolian-language news media such as the "Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian Edition," "Bayannur Daily Mongolian Edition," and "Tongliao Daily Mongolian Edition", these media outlets quickly seized the opportunity by expanding their digital communication channels and establishing official Douyin accounts. This shift marked a broader transformation from traditional print and broadcast media toward digital platforms.These Douyin accounts have not only played an important role in news dissemination but have also become important platforms for the inheritance of Mongolian culture and the guidance of public opinion. However, systematic and quantitative research on the content production, dissemination power, and user stickiness of these Douyin accounts is still rare. This paper takes 10 representative Mongolian-language news Douyin accounts at the autonomous region and league/city levels in Inner Mongolia as samples. Based on the tweet data from 2023 to 2025, it uses the Douyin Communication Index (DCI) V1.0 model to systematically evaluate their content characteristics and dissemination power. 2. Research Design 2.1 Research Subjects This paper takes 10 Mongolian-language news Douyin accounts, including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region-level Mongolian-language news media (such as "Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian Edition") and league/city-level media (such as "Xilingol Mongolian Media" and "Bayannur Daily Mongolian Edition"), as research subjects. All tweets from April 11, 2023 to April 9, 2025 were selected, totaling 6208 tweets. 2.2 Research Indicators 2.21. Overall Influence Indicator Overall influence refers to the overall popularity, dissemination, and public opinion guidance effectiveness of a Douyin account among its audience and even in the whole society. It is a comprehensive indicator that integrates indicators such as dissemination, coverage, and recognition. It is generally evaluated using the Douyin Communication Index (DCI). 2.22 Influence Indicators This study adopts the empirical analysis method based on DCI data. The Douyin Account Influence Index (DCI) V1.0 comprehensively reflects the influence of a Douyin account on the short video platform by evaluating the number of short videos posted, interaction status, and user reach. It is mainly examined through three dimensions: posting index, interaction index, and reach index. The posting index (number of videos) accounts for 10%. This indicator reflects the frequency of video postings and content productivity of the Douyin account. The interaction index (weight 76%) is the core dimension of the DCI evaluation system, comprehensively measuring the interaction effect between users and content through three indicators: number of comments (37%), number of likes (46%), and number of shares (17%). The reach index (number of followers, new followers) has a weight of 14%. Among them, the number of followers has a relatively high weight (89%), and new followers account for 11%. This indicator reflects the account's follower base and growth potential. 86 Danish Scientific Journal No102, 2025 Table 1. Data Indicators, Weights, and Standardization Methods for Douyin Accounts Primary Indicators Primary Indicator Weight Secondary Indicators Standardization Secondary Indicator Weight Release Index 10% Number of New VideosX1 ln(X1+1) 100% Interaction Index 76% Number of LikesX2 Number of CommentsX3 Number of SharesX4 ln(X2+1) ln(X3+1) ln(X4+1) 17% 37% 46% Coverage Index 14% Number of New FollowersX5 Total Number of FollowersX6 ln(X5+1) ln(X6+1) 11% 89% DCI={0.10*ln(X1+1)+0.76*[0.17*ln(X2+1)+0.37*ln(X3+1)+0.46*ln(X4+1)]+0.14*[0.11*ln(X5+1)+0.89*ln (X6+1)]}*100 3. Research Results 3.1 Statistical Results of Operational Indicators of 10 Mongolian-Language News Media Douyin Accounts The posting index (number of videos) accounts for 10%. This indicator reflects the video posting frequency and content productivity of Douyin accounts. Among them, "Ordos Media Mongolian Edition" posted 2014 videos, followed by "Xilingol Media Release" (1344 videos) and "Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian Edition" (1001 videos), demonstrating a highfrequency content output capability. The Douyin accounts "My Chifeng Mongolian," "Alashan League Mongolian Edition," and "Bayannur Daily Mongolian Edition" posted 468, 320, and 293 videos respectively. The remaining Douyin accounts "Tongliao Daily Mongolian Edition," "Baotou Mongolian TV," "Chifeng Mongolian Radio," and "Ordos Mongolian TV" posted 105, 71, 42, and 0 videos respectively, with extremely low posting indices and severely insufficient content updates. The Interaction Index (76% weighting) is the core dimension of the DCI evaluation system, comprehensively measuring the interaction effect between users and content through three major indicators: number of comments (37%), number of likes (46%), and number of shares (17%). Among these, the number of likes has the highest weighting, reflecting that user recognition of the content is a key indicator of its dissemination power; the number of comments is second, reflecting the depth of user participation; and the number of shares measures the potential for secondary dissemination of the content. Data shows significant differences in the interaction effects among different accounts. "Xilingol Media Release" (2.1 million+ likes, 100,000+ comments, 570,000+ shares) and "Bayannur Daily Mongolian Edition" (1.24 million+ likes, 50,000+ comments, 470,000+ shares) far surpass other accounts in interaction data, especially in the number of likes and shares, indicating that their content not only enjoys high user recognition but also has extremely strong dissemination capabilities. The Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian edition (210,000+ likes, 20,000+ comments, 170,000+ shares) and the Ordos Media Convergence Mongolian edition (300,000+ likes, 10,000+ comments, 60,000+ shares) have mid-level interaction data, but the number of comments is significantly lower than that of top accounts, indicating a need to strengthen the design of content interactivity. Local accounts such as "My Chifeng Mongolian Edition" (100,000+ likes, 5,000+ comments, 30,000+ shares) and "Alxa League Mongolian Edition" (30,000+ likes, 1,000+ comments, 9,000+ shares) have generally low interaction levels, with the number of shares generally less than 10,000, reflecting a limited scope of content dissemination. The interactive data for "Chifeng Mongolian Radio" and "Tongliao Daily Mongolian Newspaper" is lagging far behind, with fewer than 6,000 comments, likes, and shares, indicating a severe lack of user engagement. "Baotou Mongolian TV" (2 comments, 5 shares) and "Ordos Mongolian TV" (0 interactive data each) performed extremely poorly, revealing fundamental problems with their content quality or operational strategies. The coverage index (number of followers, new followers) has a weight of 14%. The number of followers has a relatively high weight (89%), while new followers account for 11%. This indicator reflects the account's follower base and growth potential. Based on the cross-analysis of follower size and growth trend, the research sample shows a clear tiered differentiation. In the leading tier (number of followers > 200,000), the Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian Edition demonstrates a significant platform advantage, with its total of 257,000 followers being the highest in the research sample. Coupled with 16,000 new followers added in the quarter, this confirms the institutional advantages of autonomous region-level media in resource integration and brand influence. It is worth noting that while Xilingol League Media Release currently ranks second with 221,000 followers, its 24,000 new followers not only represent the highest value in the sample but also form a virtuous cycle of "high base - high growth," a positive feedback loop mechanism worthy of further in-depth research. The core group (50,000 ≤ followers ≤ 200,000) exhibits differentiated development characteristics. Among them, the Mongolian version of the Bayannur Daily stands out with a 22.7% increase in followers, highlighting its content conversion efficiency. This account maintained a base of 75,000 followers while adding 17,000 new followers, indicating the strong sustainability of its operational strategy. In stark contrast, the Mongolian version of the Tongliao Daily, with 41,000 Danish Scientific Journal No102, 2025 87 followers, experienced an anomaly of zero new followers. This stagnant growth may indicate systemic risks such as outdated content or channel failure. Among the developing account cluster (10,000 ≤ followers < 50,000), the Ordos Media Convergence Mongolian Edition and the Alxa League Media Convergence Mongolian Edition showed growth rates of 20.6% and 6.7% respectively. However, the difference in their follower base of 34,000 and 15,000 reflects the inherent gap in resource endowment among prefecturelevel media. Of particular note are the special cases emerging in the potential account group (followers < 10,000). My Chifeng Mongolian Edition account exhibits a high degree of correlation between new follower growth and comment count (both 5,594). This "strong interaction-high conversion" coupling phenomenon provides a practical example for small and medium-sized accounts to break through. Conversely, while Chifeng Mongolian Radio has a follower base of 9,657, the 0.55% conversion rate reflected by the 53 new followers reveals a deeper problem of insufficient content-audience matching. The behavior of problematic accounts is particularly alarming. The near-zero follower count of Baotou Mongolian TV (1,247 followers) and the extreme case of Ordos Mongolian TV (121 followers) reveal the severe challenges faced by traditional media in their transformation. Both accounts gained only one new follower, indicating not only a near-complete loss of natural growth potential but also potentially fundamental flaws in their operational systems. This "zombie-like" tendency provides a typical example of failure in the media convergence process. Overall, the distribution of followers among Inner Mongolian-language Douyin accounts on the platform exhibits a highly uneven pattern, reflecting a typical "head-heavy concentration and long-tail dilution" phenomenon. According to Chris Anderson's "long tail theory," while a few top products in the digital content market capture the majority of attention and revenue, a large amount of "non-mainstream" content still constitutes an important part of the cultural ecosystem 1 . However, this study found that the "long tail" of Inner Mongolian-language news Douyin accounts lacks the necessary activity and visibility, reflecting that the "long tail effect" of content platforms in the dissemination of ethnic languages has not yet been effectively activated. Against this backdrop, the second and third levels of the digital divide theory provide important explanatory paths. As scholars such as Huang Chuxin have pointed out, the digital divide has shifted from the initial "access divide" to the more complex "use divide" and "effect divide"—that is, even if physical access is equal among groups, significant differences still exist between different groups in terms of usage ability, access to visibility, and opportunities for expression 2 . In 1 Anderson, C. (2015). The long tail: Why the future of business lies in niche markets (Q. Jiangtao & X. Shi, Trans.). CITIC Press. (Original work published 2006) p. 56. 2 Huang, C., & Song, J. (2020). Research on major problems and countermeasures in the development of China’s cyberspace. Online Communication, (3), 6–11. content platforms, this gap is primarily manifested through algorithmic mechanisms. Platform algorithms optimize the exposure of mainstream content through "visibility allocation," thereby subtly suppressing the dissemination space of minority language content. Mongolian, as a relatively niche language, has a weaker voice on the platform. The algorithm prioritizes pushing mainstream language content with a larger audience, causing Mongolian news accounts to face traffic bottlenecks and hindering the effective expansion of their "long tail." Meanwhile, platform algorithms not only exhibit bias in traffic allocation but also weaken the dissemination effectiveness of ethnic minority cultures through a "cultural discounting" mechanism. As Qiu Linchuan pointed out, the platform recommendation mechanism is essentially a "visibility allocation power," which is not neutral but rather has a structural preference for guiding user attention and filtering cultural content 3 . Platforms tend to push content with high public acceptance and entertainment value, while their support for ethnic languages and cultural expressions is relatively limited. This "cultural discounting" phenomenon further weakens the exposure of Mongolian language content, exacerbates its insufficient activity in the "long tail" segment, and limits the breadth and depth of cultural dissemination. Therefore, although, according to the long tail theory, a large amount of "non-mainstream" content still has the potential to constitute an important part of the cultural ecosystem, Mongolian-language news content has not received sufficient algorithmic support and traffic incentives in the current digital platform environment. This phenomenon reflects the structural redistribution mechanism of platform algorithms on information visibility and cultural expression, indicating that the digital divide has entered a deeper stage of "cultural visibility gap." Platform support for the dissemination of ethnic languages and cultures remains insufficient, and there is an urgent need to optimize algorithmic logic, increase the weight allocation of ethnic language content, activate the long tail effect, and promote the effective dissemination of Mongolian and other ethnic languages in the new media environment. From the perspective of information dissemination resource allocation, this phenomenon also reveals a significant imbalance in the distribution of attention resources within the platform. Platform algorithms, the content production capabilities of the account's affiliated organization, operational resource investment, and factors such as regional population structure and internet access rate all contribute to the generation of an account's dissemination power 4 . Accounts with strong mainstream media backgrounds and mature operational mechanisms are more likely to receive platform promotion and user favor, while some local or professional 3 Qiu Linchuan. (2019).Visibility and Cultural Filtering: The Impact of Social Platform Algorithm Mechanisms on Cultural Dissemination [J]. International Journalism Review, (3) ,113130. 4 Wu Fei. (2021). Information Production and Dissemination Resource Allocation in the Media Platform Era [J]. Journalism and Communication Research, (2) , 23–37. 88 Danish Scientific Journal No102, 2025 accounts are marginalized in the dissemination process and struggle to break through traffic bottlenecks. Table 2. Analysis of the Release Index, Interaction Index, and Coverage Index of the 10 Mongolian-language News Media Douyin Accounts in Inner Mongolia 3.2 Analysis of DCI Index Results of 10 Douyin Accounts of Mongolian-language News Media in Inner Mongolia As the Mongolian-language Douyin account with the highest DCI index, "Xilingol Media Release" has demonstrated outstanding performance across multiple dimensions, including video production, user interaction, and follower growth. It has released 1,808 videos, garnering over 2.1 million likes and 105,900 comments, showcasing strong content production and dissemination capabilities. In particular, the 24,000 new followers indicate a stable ability to attract and convert users. However, there is still room for improvement in content efficiency. While some videos are produced frequently, the level of interaction is uneven, reflecting an operational bottleneck where "high output does not equal high efficiency." Although the "Bayannur Daily Mongolian Edition" account has a relatively small number of videos (393), its content dissemination efficiency is outstanding. It ranks second among Mongolian-language news media in the region in terms of likes and shares, demonstrating strong content planning and topic creation capabilities. The addition of 17,000 new followers indicates the content's strong appeal. However, its total follower count is only 75,000, reflecting regional limitations in its reach and indicating that the account's influence has not yet effectively expanded. Overall, its reach needs to be broadened. As an authoritative media outlet at the autonomous region level, the "Inner Mongolia Daily Mongolian Edition" boasts the largest fan base (257,000) in the entire sample, and its brand credibility lays the foundation for its dissemination. However, the account's performance in core interaction metrics such as likes and comments is relatively weak, indicating insufficient fan activity, that the disseminated content has not fully stimulated user emotional engagement, and that the dissemination model is still mainly "information-oriented," lacking a "participatory" dissemination mechanism. The "Ordos Media Mongolian Version" account has the highest video output (2014 videos), demonstrating a strong content supply capacity and a professional, routine operation and maintenance foundation. However, in terms of interaction, the efficiency of likes, comments, and follower conversion is not ideal, indicating that "high-frequency posting" has not resulted in effective interaction and conversion. Its dissemination effectiveness is limited by insufficient content appeal and weak user reach. Despite its relatively small follower base (7072 people), "My Chifeng Mongolian Language" boasts excellent likes and shares, indicating its content has the potential to become a viral hit and resonates with local emotions. The close proximity of new followers and comments further suggests high audience engagement and a very stable user base. However, the low update frequency and limited topic range make it difficult to maintain sustained user attention and platform recommendation traffic. The account "Alashan League Mongolian Version" demonstrates a certain level of engagement in terms of comments (10,800) and likes (62,000), indicating that its content has a certain level of topical appeal. However, its total number of followers and the depth of its reach are both low, suggesting that the account has not yet achieved large-scale dissemination capabilities, and there is a mismatch between its content style and the habits of short video platform users. The "Tongliao Daily Mongolian Edition" account maintains a slightly above-average performance across various metrics, with a balanced ratio of likes to comments and a stable content style, reflecting good topical adherence and consistent expression. However, its sharing rate and follower growth are relatively slow, making it difficult to generate strong user resonance Primary Indicators Release Index Interaction Index Coverage Index Standardization Secondary Indicator Weight Primary Indicator Weight Secondary Indicators 10% 76% 14% Number of Videos Number of Comments Number of Likes Number of Shares Number of Followe New Followers ln(X1+1) ln(X2+1) ln(X3+1) ln(X4+1) ln(X5+1) ln(X6+1) 100% 17% 37% 46% 11% 89% 1808 105908 2107237 578102 221000 24000 393 55309 1245912 475622 75000 17000 987 21191 218134 178026 257000 16000 2014 13503 303168 67923 34000 7000 468 5594 100428 33110 7072 5594 320 1899 36502 9145 15000 1000 42 329 5911 823 9657 53 105 678 5802 797 37000 71 2 381 5 1247 1 0 0 0 0 121 1 Xilingol Media – Mongolian Edition Bayan Nur Daily – Mongolian Edition Inner Mongolia Daily – Mongolian Edition Ordos Media – Mongolian Edition My Chifeng Mongolian Alxa League Media – Mongolian-language Edition Chifeng Mongolian-language Radio Tongliao Daily – Mongolian Edition Baotou Mongolian-language TV Ordos Mongolian-language TV 0 Danish Scientific Journal No102, 2025 89 and viral spread. It is recommended to introduce emotional and storytelling elements to enhance user engagement. As a local radio broadcasting account, "Chifeng Mongolian Language Radio" has garnered relatively stable likes and comments by focusing on issues related to people's livelihoods, indicating a certain level of trust and public opinion connection among local users. However, its content update pace is slow, its fan base is weak, and it lacks sustained momentum for dissemination; the overall operational rhythm of the account still needs improvement. The content of "Baotou Mongolian Language TV" mainly consists of traditional news reports and local events. Some videos have the basic elements for visual dissemination, but overall interaction is mediocre, with likes and comments far below the sample average. The language style of the broadcasts leans heavily towards the characteristics of television media and fails to effectively adapt to the dissemination logic of short videos, affecting its recommendation weight and user appeal on the platform. The account "Ordos Mongolian Language TV" has an extremely low number of followers, ranking last in the sample in terms of dissemination data. Its posting frequency and interaction metrics are also at a disadvantage, reflecting a lack of systematic operation. Although some videos have potential for viewing, the overall content lacks continuity and topicality, making it difficult to effectively trigger the platform's algorithm recommendation mechanism. The dissemination system is still in its initial stages of development. Figure1. Analysis of the DCI index results of the 10 Mongolian-language media Douyin accounts in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 4. Conclusion and Recommendations This paper systematically evaluated the dissemination performance characteristics of 10 Mongolianlanguage news-related Douyin accounts based on the DCI model, finding significant characteristics in terms of dissemination power, platform operation, and regional differences. The study points out that: First, the content production of Mongolian-language new media should further transform towards professionalization and branding, enhancing its agenda-setting capabilities and platform feature development; second, regionallevel media should play a leading role in promoting the dissemination and sharing of high-quality content, driving the coordinated development of local accounts; third, radio accounts need to accelerate integration and transformation, strengthening interactive content supply and multimedia expression capabilities; fourth, the Mongolian-language digital media ecosystem should be optimized through policy guidance, talent training, and platform incentives to enhance the ability to guide public opinion in the ethnic language. Future research could further expand user profiling and interactive behavior research at the audience level, combining big data mining and public opinion models to construct a more scientific evaluation system for the influence of Mongolian-language new media. References: 1. He Chang. (2025). A Study on the Information Dissemination Influence of Official Douyin Accounts of Universities. Journal of Journalism and Communication (15), 63-65. 2. Zhang Hailin & Ma Xiufeng. (2023). A Study on the Current Status and Countermeasures of the Dissemination Power of Douyin Accounts of Provincial Public Libraries. Inner Mongolia Science and Technology and Economy (16), 145-150. 3. Chen Dongling. (2020). A Study on the Dissemination Strategies of Chinese Libraries on Douyin Platform Based on DCI Index. 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