The Role of Digital Media in Shaping Public Perception of Cultural Heritage Conservation
Abstract
Background: Digital media increasingly mediate how publics encounter, interpret, and participate in cultural heritage, yet wider circulation does not necessarily produce deeper understanding or more equitable participation. Objective: This study explains the principal mechanisms through which digital media shape public perception of cultural heritage conservation and identifies the governance conditions under which those mechanisms can support responsible conservation in Vietnam. Methods: A structured narrative review was combined with comparative analysis. The analytical source set comprised 21 foundational, international, Vietnam-based, and contextual applied publications from 2006-2026 addressing social media, participatory culture, heritage discourse, digital storytelling, digital museums, interpretation quality, community participation, institutional capability, and conservation effectiveness. Sources were examined across four analytical fields: access and visibility, narrative-emotional engagement, experiential learning, and participatory governance, together with their associated risks. Results: Three principal mechanisms were identified: expanded access and discursive visibility; narrative shaping of emotion, memory, and identity; and a shift from passive viewing to experiential heritage learning. These mechanisms are constrained by three recurrent risks: distortion and commercialisation, digital inequality, and the weakening of authenticity and narrative rights. The study synthesises these findings into a Digital Heritage Perception and Participation framework integrating Access, Experience, Participation, and Governance. Conclusion: Digital heritage communication should be evaluated not by exposure metrics alone, but by the extent to which it improves informed understanding, meaningful participation, representational fairness, and sustained relationships among heritage, heritage-bearing communities, and wider publics.