The domination of mass media is exemplified by candidates' camps attempting to gain media exposure as a top priority of their campaign strategies; however, the popularity of social media has gradually changed this trend. This article used the 2012 Taiwan presidential election to examine the relationship between social media and mass media. By interviewing campaign staffers, journalists, and scholars, this article developed the concept of the candidate's frame to distinguish from the media frame and employed frame contest to view the interplay. The findings demonstrate that candidates attempted to view their Facebook pages as the headwaters of mass media and intermediation can be broadened under this situation.

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The convenience and pervasiveness of smartphones have created an environment where teacher–parent communication can be easily fostered through mobile apps. The current study aims to explore the role of instant messaging apps in teacher–parent communication. Social capital and the uses and gratifications theory were used to develop a theoretical model. The survey collected 429 valid questionnaires. The findings show that both bonding and bridging capital have a positive influence on constructs including sociability, entertainment, communicatory utility, and emotion. Entertainment, communicatory utility, and emotion have a positive influence on the willingness to use Line as a teacher–parent communication tool. The implications for the extension of communication theory and practice are discussed in the current study.

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Signing e-petitions to foreign authorities received little attention from scholars due to the constraint of the relationship between citizenship and sovereignty. Yet, Taiwanese people constantly attempt to create and sign e-petitions to other authorities, especially during the coronavirus pandemic. The current study aims to examine this phenomenon and proposes a new concept namely international political efficacy to explain their behavior. Expanded from political efficacy, international political efficacy refers to individuals’ perception of their knowledge and experience about international affairs and issues. Meanwhile, the current study develops a dual-pathway model which comprises of rational and emotional routes as the theoretical framework. Through a survey, the findings confirm that emotional route failed to shape the e-petition signing intention, whereas rational and collective action concerns dominated the process. International political efficacy was confirmed valid through empirical data, and it can contribute to the theory development.