Platforms, multimedia, and AI-mediated engagement in institutional climate communication: Evidence from COP28 digital campaigns

Rania Abdallah 1 * , Farah Saboune 1
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1 College of Communication and Media, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
* Corresponding Author
Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 16, Issue 2, Article No: e202630. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18572
OPEN ACCESS   31 Views   17 Downloads   Published online: 18 May 2026
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ABSTRACT

This study examines how institutional climate communication campaigns associated with 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) strategically deploy multimedia and artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted tools across social media platforms to shape public engagement. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study combines quantitative analysis of platform engagement metrics using PLS-SEM modeling with a complementary qualitative thematic reading of publicly available audience comments on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn. The quantitative findings indicate that semantic-rich video content is positively associated with higher audience engagement (β = 0.50, p = 0.007), AI-enabled content personalization is associated with improved campaign effectiveness measured through click-through and conversion indicators (β = 0.42, p = 0.020), and interactive multimedia features are associated with stronger user interaction and retention (β = 0.57, p = 0.004). These results are interpreted through media richness and social presence perspectives, alongside platform-based communication logics that emphasize the role of algorithmic visibility, data-driven optimization, and sociotechnical affordances in shaping institutional publics online. The study contributes to social media scholarship by extending empirical evidence on AI-mediated multimedia engagement to the domain of institutional climate communication, while highlighting implications for responsible personalization, transparency, and public trust within platform environments.
Keywords: social media platforms, institutional communication, COP28, climate communication, multimedia, artificial intelligence, personalization, interactivity, public engagement, platform governance

CITATION

Abdallah, R., & Saboune, F. (2026). Platforms, multimedia, and AI-mediated engagement in institutional climate communication: Evidence from COP28 digital campaigns. Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 16(2), e202630. https://doi.org/10.30935/ojcmt/18572

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