Abstract
In 2006, a video of a middle-aged man verbally assaulting a youth in a public bus thrust user-generated content (UGC) and YouTube into the public imagination in Hong Kong. Using the concept of legitimacy from institutional theory to qualitatively analyze newspaper commentaries about the incident, this study connects journalists’ narratives to the diffusion of UGC by showing how they inadvertently promote cultural support and normative acceptance of this new media category as a consequence of efforts at paradigm-repair and boundary maintenance. Those narratives construe UGC as a legitimate coin-of-exchange: something relevant, familiar, interesting, and appropriate to engage with.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
