Designing Humanitarian Stories (Volunteer/Beneficiary) in Relief Work on YouTube: A Comparative Study on the King Salman Humanitarian Aid & Relief Centre & the Turkish Cooperation & Coordination Agency

Objective: This study compares volunteer and beneficiary stories on YouTube by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) to communicate humanitarian concepts. Method: The qualitative approach followed the qualitative and semiotic content analysis of images and texts, allowing an in-depth understanding of these stories' implicit and explicit messages. Results: The results revealed that KSrelief primarily focuses on medical assistance and immediate relief efforts, featuring volunteer narratives that emphasise personal commitment and compassion. In contrast, TIKA's content is more diversified, covering educational, agricultural, and economic development projects, with stories highlighting permanent staff experiences and their projects' long-term impact. Both organisations employ high-quality visuals and engaging storytelling techniques; KSrelief provides content in both Arabic and English, while TIKA primarily uses Turkish. Conclusion: KSrelief and TIKA effectively use digital storytelling to communicate their humanitarian missions, reflecting their distinct operational priorities and cultural contexts. The findings highlight the importance of tailored storytelling strategies in humanitarian communication. Recommendations include enhancing the visibility of national symbols in KSrelief's branding and diversifying content themes to broaden audience engagement and impact. Future research should explore the broader effects of storytelling on audience engagement across various platforms.