Kunieda Tomoki

Organizations are both a threat to and a solution for sustainability. Press releases are one of the main ways in which organizations communicate their sustainability efforts to its stakeholders and society. However, while much research has focused on media coverage of sustainability, less attention has been paid to the press releases that drive these media narrative. This study addresses this gap by examining press releases as a strategic communication tool for framing organizational message, shaping public perceptions and influencing sustainability discourse.

In the 2024 Tokyo Gubernatorial Election, short videos (vertical videos under 60 seconds) and clip videos (re-edited segments of existing videos) gained significant attention. Not only did the candidates themselves produce and release videos, but there were also new trends, such as encouraging supporters to create clip videos. These videos were seen as a promising new form of public relations that could reach younger audiences with low interest in elections. However, concerns were raised about the increasing number of videos edited to convey specific impressions and the creation of clip videos about politics and elections driven by the pursuit of advertising revenue. This presentation will first organize the characteristics of short videos and clip videos and then report on the results of a quantitative and qualitative analysis of YouTube Shorts related to candidates, collected during the election period. Through an analysis of the videos' content, titles, engagement metrics, and associated channels, we will highlight who shared what, and discuss their characteristics, potential concerns, and future prospects.