The interplay between activism logic and platform logic: Fan comment control in Chinese online public cultural spaces

In the evolving context of platforms’ influence on society, the digitization of fandom emerges as a crucial yet underexplored subject. Guided by fan activism and media logic theories, this study explores fan comment control in online public cultural spaces as a representative case of digital fandom in China. By investigating the digital mobilization of fan comment control and the interactions among fans, anti-fans, non-fans, and platforms, this study challenges the optimistic view in previous fan studies that regarded fan collective action as fan activism. Through participant observation and 20 in-depth interviews, this study finds fluidity in cultural identities within and outside the digital fandom and an ongoing negotiation between platforms’ efforts to regulate users and users’ strategies to adapt to algorithmic rules. Notably, under the reinforcing influence of platform dataism, fans’ diverse motivations contribute to transforming collective commenting from a potential form of activism into a struggle for discursive hegemony.