Documents published in Scipedia

• Elections and fact-checking in Portugal: the case of the 2019 and 2022 legislative elections

  J. Baptista, P. Jerónimo, V. Piñeiro-Naval, A. Gradim

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (6), 114

  
  

  Abstract

  Fact-checking is a relatively recent journalistic genre in Portugal that has been growing in recent years, alternately viewed as a journalism reform movement or criticized as inefficient and idealistic. Our study is a comparative analysis of the output of the Portuguese fact-checkers Observador and Polígrafo in the 2019–2022 elections to determine whether their coverage is politically biased. Performing a quantitative content analysis of all fact-checking articles on national politics (n = 265) published during the campaign for the parliamentary elections, our results show that fact-checking activity has increased in the last elections. These data may indicate that fact-checking agencies have increased their capacity and resources, but may also suggest a greater presence of subjectivity and deception in Portuguese political discourse. The focus of Portuguese fact-checkers is statements produced during political debates (70%), while social media verification is disregarded. Our most significant finding is the lack of evidence of partisan or political bias in the selection of the assessed statements. Both fact-checkers do not show a tendency to check statements that are more or less anti- or pro-government and/or statements that are ideologically favorable to the left wing or the right wing. Therefore, our findings confirm the high level of professionalism and impartiality of Portuguese fact-checkers evidenced in other studies, and demonstrate that the Portuguese citizen’s skepticism toward the practice has no foundation.

  Abstract
  Fact-checking is a relatively recent journalistic genre in Portugal that has been growing in recent years, alternately viewed as a journalism reform movement or criticized [...]

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• Culture of information and information exchange in a public hospital: a study based on the information orientation model and social network analysis

  G. Fortea-Cabo, A. González-Teruel

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (6), 113

  
  

  Abstract

  The structures of hospitals have evolved to make them centre on patients and their pathologies, with care procedures that are both interprofessional and interorganisational. This has given rise to work environments made up of teams obliged to collaborate in their problem-solving, with an essential focus on proper collaborative information behaviour (CIB). The aim was to study this behaviour in a clinical service of a hospital in relation to two aspects: information culture (IC) and the exchange of information. This entailed designing a two-part descriptive study. The first step was to administer a survey based on the information orientation model to know more about the service’s IC. The second phase focussed on the exchange of information from the perspective of an analysis of social networks. The main characteristic of IC was its proactive nature, especially in the use of information to improve one’s own work (mean = 4.58) and to respond to changes and new developments relating to work (mean = 4.18). The factor that least characterised IC was control, particularly in relation to knowledge of the objective of the activity itself (mean = 2.67) and the dispersion of information about hospital processes (mean = 2.64). On social networks, factors contrary to an interprofessional CIB were identified, such as homophily and low reciprocity in terms of relationships. In practice, the results identified a need to reinforce the perception of information as a resource, the proper use of which benefits job performance at both an individual and group level. A need to reinforce flows of internal hospital-related information was likewise evident. From a theoretical and methodological point of view, a useful tool is made available for diagnosing the collaborative information behaviour of an organisation and designing strategies to improve it.

  Abstract
  The structures of hospitals have evolved to make them centre on patients and their pathologies, with care procedures that are both interprofessional and interorganisational. [...]

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• Artificial intelligence strategies in European public broadcasters: Uses, forecasts and future challenges

  C. Fieiras-Ceide, M. Vaz-Álvarez, M. Túñez-López

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 112

  
  

  Abstract

  As artificial intelligence (AI) gains space in the media, public broadcasters are testing and experimenting with these technologies to raise their services to the new standards of the audiovisual ecosystem. From algorithms that help recommend the most suitable content for users, to others that detect news and automate some of the tasks of journalists, these tools are increasingly present in public audiovisual corporations. The data were obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews with a convenience sample of 15 corporations from 12 countries. The results reflect a heterogeneous application of artificial intelligence in corporations, oriented towards the automatic creation of content from structured data, the improvement of audience interaction through chatbots, and personalisation or verification. The implementation of these technologies also poses major challenges. Firstly, the economic cost of adapting these systems to each corporation and the difficulties in hiring experts to develop AI solutions prevent a complete deployment of these tools in public broadcasters. As main conclusions, we have understood that AI as a “culture” is believed to be vital for the public audiovisual services of the future, although its application is still far from being a standard and generally does not occupy a relevant strategic position in the innovation departments of corporations.

  Abstract
  As artificial intelligence (AI) gains space in the media, public broadcasters are testing and experimenting with these technologies to raise their services to the new standards [...]

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• Open data on Covid-19 in the Spanish autonomous communities: reutilization in spatial epidemiology studies

  J. Salvador-Oliván, S. Escolano-Utrilla

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (4), 111

  
  

  Abstract

  The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for governments and health administrations at all levels to have an open data registry that facilitates decision-making in the planning and management of health resources and provides information to citizens on the evolution of the epidemic. The concept of “open data” includes the possibility of reutilization by third parties. Space and time are basic dimensions used to structure and interpret the data of the variables that refer to the health status of the people themselves. Hence, the main objective of this study is to evaluate whether the autonomous communities’ data files regarding Covid-19 are reusable to analyze the evolution of the disease in basic spatial and temporal analysis units at the regional and national levels. To this end, open data files containing the number of diagnosed cases of Covid-19 distributed in basic health or administrative spatial units and temporal units were selected from the portals of the Spanish autonomous communities. The presence of infection-related, demographic, and temporal variables, as well as the download format and metadata, were mainly evaluated. Whether the structure of the files was homogeneous and adequate for the application of spatial analysis techniques was also analyzed. The results reveal a lack of standardization in the collection of data in both spatial and temporal units and an absence of, or ambiguity in, the meaning of the variables owing to a lack of metadata. An inadequate structure was also found in the files of seven autonomous communities, which would require subsequent processing of the data to enable their reuse and the application of analysis and spatial modeling techniques, both when carrying out global analyses and when comparing patterns of evolution between different regions.

  Abstract
  The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for governments and health administrations at all levels to have an open data registry that facilitates decision-making in the [...]

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• Using testimonial narratives to persuade people about artificial intelligence: the role of attitudinal similarity with the protagonist of the message

  J. Igartua, A. González-Vázquez, C. Arcila-Calderón

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (4), 110

  
  

  Abstract

  This study addresses the factors that increase the persuasive impact of testimonial narrative messages on artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the effect on two variables that, to date, have not been explored in this field is analyzed: the attitudes toward AI (positive versus ambivalent) expressed by the protagonist of the narrative message (a testimonial in audiovisual format) and the role of participants’ prior beliefs about AI. An online experiment (N = 652) was carried out to contrast the effect of attitudinal similarity on identification with the protagonist of the narrative message and the indirect effect on attitudes and intention to use AI. The results showed that the message whose protagonist expressed positive attitudes toward AI induced greater identification only in those participants with previous positive beliefs. In contrast, the message whose protagonist expressed ambivalent attitudes toward AI induced greater identification only among participants with previous negative beliefs. In addition, identification and cognitive elaboration were found to mediate the effect of attitudinal similarity on the attitude toward and intention to use AI. These findings are discussed in the context of narrative persuasion research and the development of campaigns for improving social perceptions of data science.

  Abstract
  This study addresses the factors that increase the persuasive impact of testimonial narrative messages on artificial intelligence (AI). In particular, the effect on two variables [...]

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• Transparency mechanisms in the media: analysis of Spain and Portugal

  C. Renedo-Farpón, J. Canavilhas, M. Díez-Garrido

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (6), 109

  
  

  Abstract

    Transparency in the media has become a fundamental pillar within all democratic societies, as a mechanism for reinforcing government regulation (Anderson, 2009) and citizen trust in institutions (Vos and Craft, 2016). Journalism, which has traditionally acted as a watchdog and a check on power, is now in the midst of a credibility crisis, compounded by polarization and the rise of disinformation. For this reason, various studies advocate that media outlets, just like institutions and governments, should use transparency mechanisms that allow them to respond directly or indirectly to society regarding the content they publish, as an exercise of responsibility. This research aims to evaluate media transparency in the Spanish–Portuguese landscape by means of an index that includes variables studied in the theoretical framework and that come from legislative, academic, and professional sources. These variables have been used to measure corporate and financial transparency, transparency in content production, openness to public participation, and the self-regulation mechanisms of ten media outlets in Spain and Portugal. This study concluded that, with only 43% adherence to the transparency variables analyzed, promoting accountability is still a work in progress for media outlets, and it must be stepped up at both the academic and professional levels.

  Abstract
    Transparency in the media has become a fundamental pillar within all democratic societies, as a mechanism for reinforcing government regulation (Anderson, 2009) and citizen [...]

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• A comparison of public disclosure in archives and libraries using TransPa_BA

  A. Pacios, S. Martínez Cardama

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (6), 108

  
  

  Abstract

  Transparency has drawn considerable international attention as an umbrella term covering issues relating to the struggle against corruption, the design of more open and participatory government and institutional, corporate, and social agent accountability. It is likewise associated with open data and guaranteed access to public information. However, transparency also has a second important dimension, viz. public disclosure, whereby institutions are required to furnish citizens with public information in their interest. Assessment of both dimensions of transparency poses problems and difficulties. The present article discusses the results of applying the TransPa_BA tool to assess public disclosure in 202 archives and libraries (information units) under the aegis of different government bodies. This tool proposes a series of indicators to measure active disclosure by public libraries and archives in keeping with the provisions of Spanish Act 19/2013 of 9 December on Transparency, Access to Public Information and Good Governance. The indicators and their respective parameters (content, form, reusability, accessibility, dating and updating/validity) establish general outlines enabling these institutions to enhance their transparency by furnishing not only society in general, but also their stakeholders, with information regarding their activities and performance. Accessibility of active public disclosure-related documents was found to be wanting in all but university libraries. As a collective learning tool for information unit managers, TransPa_BA can be used to monitor and gradually improve transparency in libraries and archives.

  Abstract
  Transparency has drawn considerable international attention as an umbrella term covering issues relating to the struggle against corruption, the design of more open and participatory [...]

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• Communication and crisis in the public space: Dissolution and uncertainty

  D. Palau-Sampio, G. López-García

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 107

  
  

  Abstract

  The evolution from a public space such as the one defined throughout the twentieth century –characterised by unidirectionality and political and media intermediation– towards a digital scenario –with multiple actors and multi-directional messages– has not resolved the problems that existed beforehand, and has also generated others. This public space crisis has been aggravated by the fragmentation of audiences, often absorbed into their own echo chamber, and by the dispersion and jumble of voices that are an impediment to any possibility of unravelling the terms of public debate. Faced with enormous challenges such as disinformation, the conventional media, who have traditionally held the responsibility of providing quality information, address these issues from a position of extreme vulnerability, due to the disintegration of the former economic model and social credibility. In a context of uncertainty, crisis, and fragmented public spheres, and there being no alternatives that can guarantee distinct dialogue, the initiation of a social debate that prioritises quality of information is essential. 

  Abstract
  The evolution from a public space such as the one defined throughout the twentieth century –characterised by unidirectionality and political and media intermediation– [...]

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• Letter: Central nodes in the reform of the Spanish Universities Law

  I. Ahedo-Gurrutxaga, J. Martínez-Palacios, A. Ormazabal-Gaston

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 106

  
  

  Abstract

  The recent presentation of the definitive Bill for the Organic Law of the Spanish University System was preceded by a long process of consultation and negotiation with the university community, and its starting point can be found in a qualitative study carried out by the authors of this letter. That research work aimed to reveal the positions of the different sectors involved in the universities in terms of the three nodes which had been defined by the Ministry for Universities as strategic: finance, governance, and professional advancement. This letter aims to compare these positions with the definitive articles of the Bill, in addition to situating the final governance design within the European regulatory framework. It highlights the uniqueness of the Spanish model in a context of reform that is strongly influenced by the ideals of New Public Management.

  Abstract
  The recent presentation of the definitive Bill for the Organic Law of the Spanish University System was preceded by a long process of consultation and negotiation with the [...]

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• Concurrences and divergences between Spanish infotainment comedy professionals and audiences

  I. Aguilera-García

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (6), 105

  
  

  Abstract

  Infotainment comedy is the branch of infotainment that mixes current affairs content with comedy. “Infotainment” is a relatively new term, first cited by Krüger (1988); as a television trend, academics agree that it must have existed much earlier, with English-language examples such as Saturday Night Live (NBC, 1975) or That was the week that was (BBC, 1962). In Spain, the roots of infotainment lie in Caiga quien caiga (Telecinco, 1996), a precursor to satirical pseudojournalism (García-Avilés, 1999). Nowadays, there are programs that present current affairs with comedy, as in the case of El intermedio (La Sexta, 2006) or Todo es mentira (Cuatro, 2019). Owing to the continuous evolution of formats and their complex definition and classification by academics and professionals, it is worth considering whether audiences also interpret the different programs in different ways depending on their elements, given that they depend on an “intuitive understanding” (Reinemann et al., 2011; Otto et al., 2017) that stems from the habit of repeated consumption. This article presents the results of a reception study contrasting Spanish infotainment comedy professionals and their audiences to assess whether their impressions of these shows are similar or if, on the contrary, their hybrid nature is so changeable that they have come to interpret them in a very different way. The methodology involved ten discussion groups with a total of 87 viewers and 13 interviews with professionals from four programs: El intermedio, Todo es mentira, Ese programa del que usted me habla (La 2, 2019), and La resistencia (Movistar+, 2018). According to the statements collected, the results revealed that audiences and content creators show more points of divergence than concurrences, which means that the messages are interpreted differently from how they were intended.

  Abstract
  Infotainment comedy is the branch of infotainment that mixes current affairs content with comedy. “Infotainment” is a relatively new term, first cited by Krüger (1988); [...]

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