Our Scans · (ZY.4.18) Media Studies · Weekly Summary

• [New] The global entertainment and media industry reached US$ 3 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach US$ 3.5 trillion by 2029, growth driven substantially by digital content consumption across emerging markets. MarketForces Africa
• [New] Negative sentiment diverges more sharply where Chinese media frames challenges mainly around technological hurdles, ethical risks, and implementation concerns, often without undermining the broader national narrative. SAGE Journals
• [New] Chinese media expressed significantly more positive sentiment and fewer negative sentiments than expected, whereas Western media expressed significantly more negative sentiment and fewer positive sentiments than expected. SAGE Journals
• [New] The Lai administration is prioritizing countering PRC social media influence operations and cognitive warfare to reduce the threat posed by PRC disinformation campaigns. American Enterprise Institute - AEI
• [New] The global reach of social media means that even localized incidents (e.g. handset privacy concerns, app vulnerabilities) can snowball into PR crises. Risk Intelligence Service
• [New] Social media health influencers and TikTok doctors generate high engagement but low clinical credibility, creating positioning risks for healthcare organizations. TopDoctor Magazine
• [New] In 2026, the bigger opportunity is structural: reducing the number of tools your team needs in the first place by consolidating communication, work management, knowledge, and AI automation into a single secure workspace. BridgeApp
• Using social media influencers on Instagram, TikTok, Youtube and Twitch with existing large platforms and follower bases could help amplify messages. Centre for European Reform
• Tools such as HealthMap utilize AI to scan social media and health data sources for early warnings of disease outbreaks, while natural language processing algorithms analyze emergency calls and incident reports to detect emerging threats. Persistence Market Research
• As FAST solidifies its place in global media, more international content will enter the mainstream, especially from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Streaming Media Magazine
• Diplomatic engagement between Washington and Beijing, including senior military-to-military communication, would push YES contracts lower by reducing miscalculation risk. Lines.com
• Newsrooms that successfully integrate AI while maintaining strong editorial standards will lead the digital media industry in the coming years. Journalijmrr
• The Communication 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade proposes that by 2030 75% of European enterprises have taken up cloud computing services, big data and Artificial Intelligence. Interoperable Europe Portal
• Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative explicitly targets AI as a strategic economic pillar, with synthetic media applications in public communications, tourism promotion, and defence training among the identified use cases. Vantage Market Research
• Diaspora media consumers in UK, USA and Canada should expect a steady rise in coordinated narratives designed to inflame ethnic and religious cleavages over the next 18 months. NaijaNewsFeeds
• As part of several new initiatives, mobile driver's licenses will now be available at many U.S. airports for domestic flights through a joint initiative between Google Wallet, the TSA, and some state DMVs, marking Google's first major mass rollout of mobile driver's licenses. geniusee
• Investment in AI for communication tools is expected to nearly double between 2023 and 2027. Careertrainer.ai
• 90% of online content could be generated synthetically by 2026 as deepfakes spread rapidly through social media platforms. AutoFaceless

Last updated: 11 June 2026