A focus on 3R dynamics (royal, religion, race): analysing news priming and social media sentiment via Facebook

The associated realms of race, religion, and royalty (3R) have a significant impact on society narratives and perceptions in the modern world of global communication particularly in the multicultural community in Malaysia. Though they can promote social cohesion, there is a concerning pattern in Malaysia where some individuals or organisations take advantage of the complexities of race, religion, and royalty for their benefit, hence escalating conflict and division. News outlets and social media platforms are powerful tools for influencing public opinion, but they also make hate speech easier to spread, especially when it comes to targeting racial and religious groups. Hence, this study aims to identify the fundamental mechanisms influencing societal viewpoints by looking at how Malaysian news outlets frame on 3R subjects in their Facebook postings and how those priming affect public perceptions and sentiments on social media. Qualitative method is being employed by reviewing selected articles published from 2019 onwards from Google Scholar and Scopus database, with inclusive criteria that focus on the specific keywords which are news-Priming, 3R (Royal, Religion and Race), Facebook and social media sentiments. Secondly, this study analyses the Facebook post data mining conducted by using a Social Listening Tool called DXT360 to understand how these news outlets framed issues related to the 3R dynamics and the corresponding sentiment expressed by social media users. In the end, the research findings are intended to guide tactics for cultivating a more harmonious and inclusive social fabric in the face of persistent obstacles to national cohesion.