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Media might play an important role in public's voting decision. Even so, it is unknown whether the media agenda counterpart public agenda with regard to the level of importance of the issues covered in the media. This study examined the issues of concern by the Malaysian mainstream newspapers, as well as the issues of concern by the public during the 13th General Election (GE 13). In particular, this study explored the relationship between media and public agenda; as well as the relationship between Malay language newspaper agenda and the Malay public agenda. Content analysis and survey were performed to fulfil these objectives. The findings showed that the media has different agenda from the public. In addition, the Malay newspaper and public of the same ethnic group do not share similar agenda of issues. On top of that, the findings showed the priority of issues perceived by media and public are different. While the public see national security as the most important issue of the country, media on the other hand, set religion and politics as the priority in their agenda.

Celebrities who use Instagram can influence their female followers in many ways, for instance, in influencing their perceptions on body image, adoption of healthy eating lifestyles, and persuading them to purchase products or services endorsed by these celebrities. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the influence of celebrity-fan engagement on Instagram on hijab culture among Muslim women in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among female university students from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (N = 630). In order to participate in the study, respondents completed an online survey and are instructed to think about a favourite female Muslim celebrity they follow on Instagram while completing the research instrument. Results indicate that almost one-third of the most popular Muslim celebrities among females Instagram users are non-traditional celebrities (i.e. bloggers/vloggers, YouTube personalities and social media influencers). Furthermore, attitude homophily and parasocial interaction with said celebrity may significantly influence the likelihood that the celebrity's profile will be visited, and the number of likes on their photos. Finally, after controlling for the respondents' religious educational background, this study found that those who had positive attitude and behaviour towards the hijab, and perceived a higher degree of parasocial bond with Muslim celebrities on Instagram tended to have a more positive perception towards the hijab culture. The repercussions of these findings on the parasocial interaction theory, and the influence of celebrity-fan engagement on social media over hijab culture are discussed.

No abstract

This study investigates the relationship between Instagram usage, social comparison, and self-esteem among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey participated by 200 young adults studying in Malaysian universities was carried out. Results demonstrated the youth active engagement on Instagram. However, the direct relationships between the time spent on Instagram, social comparison, and self-esteem were inconsequential, with no significant differences between those using Instagram frequently and those who did not. Yet, the study observed considerably low self-esteem among the respondents and active tendency to make social comparisons while using Instagram during the social restriction period caused by the pandemic.