This month, we highlight groundbreaking COSMOS research examining how social, cultural, and political symbols in YouTube videos shaped viewer engagement and trust during Taiwan’s 2024 election. Recently presented at the 31st Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2025) held in Montreal, Canada and honored among the Top 25% papers, the study was recognized for its innovative integration of media and information systems theory. At its core, the research addresses a critical question: Which types of symbolic content most effectively foster democratic trust and drive engagement?

Drawing on an AI-powered analysis of 1,973 YouTube videos, the study found that cultural symbols generated the strongest engagement, while social symbols were most effective in cultivating trust. Moreover, content that combined multiple types of symbols consistently achieved higher results across both dimensions, underscoring the value of layered symbolic strategies.

These insights underscore the role of symbolic communication as an information-rich mechanism extending Media Richness Theory by demonstrating how layered symbols enhance message complexity and comprehension within algorithmic platforms. The work also advances Symbolic Interaction Theory by showing how symbolic cues reinforce perceptions of human connection, thereby strengthening trust in digital interactions. Reflecting on the study, Prof. Agarwal noted, “This research demonstrates how the thoughtful use of visual narrative elements can meaningfully shape engagement and trust in information campaigns.” Ultimately, the study illustrates the power of combining communication theory with information systems scholarship to inform the design of more engaging, trustworthy content in today’s complex digital landscape.