The continuous penetration of artificial intelligence, big data, short video platforms and other intelligent media technologies into county and rural areas has completely transformed the basic scenario and operational logic of urban and rural cultural communication. Intelligent media has broken the geographical barriers of traditional media, enabling rural residents to equally access digital cultural resources. Nevertheless, long-term gaps in resources, media literacy and practical scenarios between urban and rural areas have spawned new differentiated features in cultural communication. Urban cultural communication presents a trend of refinement, diversification and initiative. By contrast, rural cultural communication is plagued by homogeneous content, passive reception and the loss of local cultural discourse. Taking the sinking of intelligent media services as the research background and urban-rural cultural communication differences as the core research object, this paper sorts out the practical status of intelligent media sinking. It compares the specific gaps between urban and rural cultural communication from four dimensions: communication subjects, content, modes and effects. The paper summarizes the core causes of such differences and analyzes their social negative impacts. Finally, it proposes targeted optimization strategies to narrow the urban-rural cultural communication gap, promote urban-rural cultural integration and revitalize rural cultural vitality. The research concludes that the sinking of intelligent media cannot inherently realize the equalization of cultural communication. The popularization of media infrastructure fails to eliminate deep-seated urban-rural cultural communication disparities. Only by making up for rural media literacy deficiencies, rebuilding local rural cultural communication subjects and constructing rural-adapted cultural communication systems can balanced urban-rural cultural communication be truly achieved. This study provides theoretical references and practical guidance for rural cultural revitalization and the equalization of urban-rural public cultural services.

Ruobing Lin, Analysis on Urban-Rural Cultural Communication Differences under the Background of Intelligent Media Service Sinking. International Journal of Social Sciences and Economic Management (2026), Vol. 7, Issue 2: 26-37. https://doi.doi.org/10.3807/IJSSEM.2026.070203.

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