This study aims to examine the social judgment of audiences toward Windah
Basudara’s charity livestreaming on YouTube. Social judgment refers to the
evaluation of a social message by individuals based on their values, norms, and
perceptions. This phenomenon is important to explore as it reflects the shift in
digital media’s function as a platform for social participation.
This research employed a qualitative case study method. Data were
collected through in-depth interviews, observation of livestream content, and
digital documentation. The informants consisted of a content creator, fundraiser,
donors, and general viewers who were directly involved with the charity content.
The findings reveal that audiences gave positive social judgments toward
the charity content. This judgment was shaped by value alignment, emotional
engagement, and trust in the communicator. Audiences were encouraged to
participate because the message was delivered sincerely and emotionally.
YouTube served as an interactive medium that enabled social actions such
as donations and message dissemination. This fostered digital solidarity between
the creator and the audience.
These findings support the relevance of Social Judgment Theory in the
context of digital communication and demonstrate that charity livestreaming
effectively builds audience social engagement.