Dissemination of Policy Issues on YouTube: Sentiment in Video Headlines and User Engagement in the Case of Medical School Expansion in Korea

This study examines YouTube videos as a key medium for disseminating policy issues, specifically focusing on the controversy surrounding the expansion of medical schools in Korea. By analyzing video titles and user engagement metrics—such as views, likes, and comments—the research explores how sentiment and framing affect the spread of policy discourse. YouTube was chosen for its status as the most influential platform in Korea for discussing policy matters, along with its unique capacity to measure user engagement through video content and an algorithm-driven recommendation system. The findings reveal three critical insights: (1) the need to restore credibility in policy communication, (2) the significant impact of risk-oriented discourse in fostering public engagement, and (3) the paradoxical resurgence of traditional media's influence as issues become increasingly complex. The study also proposes a model for issue dissemination on YouTube, providing valuable insights for both media and policy research.