Documents published in Scipedia

• Galileo, a data platform for viewing news on social networks

  L. Cárcamo-Ulloa, C. Mellado, C. Blaña-Romero, D. Sáez-Trumper

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 94

  
  

  Abstract

  This article aims to introduce Galileo, a platform for extracting and organizing news media data on social networks. Galileo integrates publications made on the main social networks used in the information ecosystem, namely Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Currently, the system includes 97 media outlets from nine countries: Brazil, Chile, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, United Kingdom, and United States. Galileo uses a Twitter API and the service CrowdTangle to download Facebook and Instagram posts. This data is stored in a local database and can be accessed through a user-friendly interface, which allows for the analysis of different characteristics of the posts, such as their text, source popularity, and temporal dimension. Galileo is a tool for researchers interested in understanding news cycles and analyzing news content on social networks. 

  Abstract
  This article aims to introduce Galileo, a platform for extracting and organizing news media data on social networks. Galileo integrates publications made on the main social [...]

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• Publishing, books and reading: Spaces of authorship, visibility, and socialisation

  J. Cordón-García, M. Muñoz-Rico

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (2), 93

  
  

  Abstract

  Over the course of history, the book and its environment have been in permanent transformation, undergoing changes that have affected its format, textual arrangement, form of reading, and production and distribution systems, as well as its social consideration as an instrument for the transmission of knowledge. One of the greatest changes has taken place in the 21st century with the emergence of digital formats throughout the publishing value chain. If in previous eras the transformations had affected one or other of the mentioned elements, the digital revolution has impacted on all of them simultaneously, as it has modified the ways in which works are created, produced, distributed, and consumed. Also, it has introduced for the first time an element of intermediation between the reader and reading: the device, which, in its different varieties, implies an element of additional complexity. At the present time, and after almost two decades, we can see the advances and setbacks that have occurred on this journey; the achievements and shortcomings from the publishing point of view, in which a strengthening of the big companies can be appreciated; and the emergence of a system of self-publishing that represents a rupture with traditional systems. From the point of view of authorship, the value of the brand, of charisma and prestige, has been emphasised, while a movement of creation is taking place on the fringes of the system that renounces posterity and recognition in favour of visibility. This approach to authorship is also subject to the influx and influence of social networks with their positive effects, in the form of projection, and negative ones, in the form of new ways of censure. Finally, in terms of reading, there is an ambivalent route that runs between the paths of a very strong tradition, linked to the printed book, and digital reading, established from the point of view of practices, but in its more conservative and imitative side with respect to analogue formats; in the digital sphere, new proposals and more innovative initiatives which are attracting the attention of growing but still minority sectors of society are emerging. The digital environment is progressing and consolidating, but it has not yet taken advantage of all the potential that technological advances could provide.

  Abstract
  Over the course of history, the book and its environment have been in permanent transformation, undergoing changes that have affected its format, textual arrangement, form [...]

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• The Social Systems Citation Theory (SSCT): A proposal to use the social systems theory for conceptualizing publications and their citations links

  I. Tahamtan, L. Bornmann

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (4), 92

  
  

  Abstract

  The normative theory of citing considers citations as rewarding tools to acknowledge the influence of scientific works, while the social constructivist theory of citing considers citations, for example, as persuasion tools used by authors to support their claims, and convince the scientific community that those claims are valid. Other citation theories and models have been proposed in recent years to overcome the limitations of the normative and social constructivist theories. Nevertheless, they have not been able to fully explain all citation motives of scientists (but have a certain focus). This study proposes a new theory (which we call “social systems citation theory”, SSCT) that integrates previous theories and models on publications and their citation links and is mainly based on Niklas Luhmann’s “social systems theory”. Luhmann’s social systems theory focuses on “communications” as the basic constituting elements of a social science system and not on humans and their motives. Humans are not part of social systems but are connected with them and irritate them. Thus, the social systems theory does not have the problem of integrating various and different motives of humans to cite in the science system. In the SSCT, authors’ motives to cite belong to psychic systems while publications and their citation links belong to the social science system. The systems operate autonomously but interact with each other: the social system operates recursively with publications and citation links. Although psychic systems stimulate or irritate the science system, they do not determine communications in the science system. In this study, we explain the SSCT and demonstrate how the theory can be used to underlie empirical bibliometric studies.

  Abstract
  The normative theory of citing considers citations as rewarding tools to acknowledge the influence of scientific works, while the social constructivist theory of citing considers [...]

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• Twitter content curation as an antidote to hybrid warfare during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

  N. Morejón-Llamas, P. Martín-Ramallal, J. Micaletto-Belda

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 91

  
  

  Abstract

  Concern regarding information disorders has been magnified by the proliferation of social networks. Since its occupation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has been spewing disinformation both inside and outside its borders, giving rise to a hybrid conflict, which since 24 February 2022 has become an invasion. Faced with this flood of malicious information on social networks, fact-checkers assume the role of content curators, relying on contextualization, verification, and literacy improvement to reduce such noise. This work studies the Twitter activity of three Spanish fact-checkers (Newtral, EFE Verifica, and Maldito Bulo), to fight this new epidemic of disinformation. The sample (n = 397) was subjected to content analysis to study the evolution of the verifications and their reaction capacity, the purpose of their activity, the formats in which the content is presented, and their distribution and interaction as revealed by reactions on Twitter. The results reveal a rapid, albeit repetitive, response of the fact-checkers to the invasion, support from them to end the internationalization of hoaxes, a reliance on denials and contextualization rather than literacy improvement, unattractive formats, and a distribution and impact that demonstrate a greater reaction to sensational and emotive content. 

  Abstract
  Concern regarding information disorders has been magnified by the proliferation of social networks. Since its occupation of Crimea in 2014, Russia has been spewing disinformation [...]

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• Qualitative approach to the formalization of a professional podcasting culture. Evolution and trends

  A. Martín-Morán, R. Martín Nieto

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 90

  
  

  Abstract

    The podcast has expanded as a consumer product within the online audio ecosystem. The term has become popular, and its fame is increasing in the public sphere, whereas its definition and distinct identity, especially with respect to radio, are still being constructed. While different players, including large platforms and multimedia companies, are positioning themselves in this environment, a podcasting culture distinct from the original amateurism is also taking root. The aim of this paper is to explore the extent to which and in what way the routines and practices of creation, production, and distribution have been formalized to determine whether these processes are fostering a specific professional podcasting culture in Spain. Using semistructured in-depth interviews conducted with professionals linked to the podcasting sector, we aim to determine some of the practices that these players are starting to see as well-established within and unique to the industry, as well as those practices that have yet to become established. On the one hand, thanks to the increase in business volume and investment from production and distribution companies, the space for professionalization has been consolidated. The production standards and perceived quality of this audio content have been affirmed. On the other hand, definitions and categories related to this medium’s identity; the requirements with respect to understanding an audience, especially in its qualitative dimension; and the professional profiles and dynamics that must be established remain to be explored.

  Abstract
    The podcast has expanded as a consumer product within the online audio ecosystem. The term has become popular, and its fame is increasing in the public sphere, whereas [...]

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• The daily news podcast ecosystem from the strategy and business model perspectives

  M. Carvajal, C. Marín-Sanchiz, C. Navas

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 89

  
  

  Abstract

  The expansion of the daily news podcast format in the media industry has brought new narrative opportunities and shows the strength of the audio medium. For this reason, a qualitative analysis of the daily news podcast ecosystem has been performed from the strategy and business model perspectives through a comparative study of 14 cases (10 with media parent companies and 4 independent) in the Spanish-speaking segment using semi-structured interviews with the heads of the entities analyzed. The results reveal that daily news podcasts allow media outlets to improve their positioning by forming part of their audience’s routines, and create new revenue streams through sponsorships and brand agreements. Two editorial concepts have been identified: the in-depth analysis of a topic with support from the editorial department, and round-ups similar to radio news bulletins that cover the outlet’s informative key elements. The research also highlights audio initiatives by independent creators in specialized fields who shed light on the format’s potential for news narratives.

  Abstract
  The expansion of the daily news podcast format in the media industry has brought new narrative opportunities and shows the strength of the audio medium. For this reason, a [...]

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• Podcast production and marketing strategies on the main platforms in Europe, North America, and Latin America. Situation and perspectives

  M. Pérez-Alaejos, R. Terol-Bolinches, A. Barrios-Rubio

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 88

  
  

  Abstract

  Fifteen years after the term was coined, the podcast is now consolidated as a sound format with a specific identity within the digital media ecosystem. The practice of podcasting is none other than radio, but one encompassing diverse production on both expressive and thematic levels whose properties (mobility, narrative fragmentation, and the integration of multiple devices) and personalized consumption generate a very different listener attitude compared with traditional radio. After an initial period of independent amateurism strongly conditioned by the technologies available, the podcast has achieved significant global popular recognition, as well as an increasingly important professional dimension thanks to the emergence and spread of new distribution platforms (podcast networks) designed to serve as alternatives to the dominant feeds (such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iVoox, and Spotify) that rely on different catalogs and business models. This investigation identifies, describes, and systematically orders the main management and marketing models for podcasts on these platforms on the basis of a comparative analysis of fourteen of them, two in each of the eight countries in Europe, North America, and Latin America where this format is most widespread: Acast (Sweden); Podimo (Denmark); Binge Audio and Majelan (France); Podimo Spain and Podium Podcast (Spain); PodcastOne and Luminary (USA); Convoy Network and Puentes (Mexico); Posta and Parque Podcast (Argentina); and Pia Podcast and Podway (Colombia). The study measures and compares the offerings of each of the studied platforms using different quantitative and qualitative variables (age, territorial reach, content categories, dominant genres, funding, and consumption). The objective is to start to draw up a global map of the main operators in the podcasting industry, and to identify the production trends and marketing strategies of a format with increasing impact and demand, destined to become the future heir of broadcast radio.

  Abstract
  Fifteen years after the term was coined, the podcast is now consolidated as a sound format with a specific identity within the digital media ecosystem. The practice of podcasting [...]

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• Big data in radio broadcasting companies: applications and evolution

  M. Fernández-Sande, M. Rodríguez-Pallares

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 87

  
  

  Abstract

  The radio broadcasting industry is facing a process of profound digital transformation throughout which, over the last 20 years, the strategies to preserve the traditional business model have prevailed. The consolidation of platformization and datafication in the economic management of the media requires adaptation of the radio broadcasting sector’s structures, management models, and corporate culture. Through an exhaustive bibliographic review, nonparticipant observation, and in-depth interviews conducted with heads of the systems, sales and marketing, content, and digital and innovation departments of the three leading Spanish companies (Prisa Radio, Grupo COPE, and Atresmedia Radio) and the state public broadcaster (RNE), we seek to identify the functional areas of the radio broadcasting company in which big data (BD) has a greater potential for application, trying to establish the differences in its utilization in the analogue and digital business model. The results revealed that the degree of BD implementation in the Spanish radio broadcasting industry was significantly different between the private sector –which within the last 2 or 3 years has begun to introduce, very incipiently, big data management, applied primarily to the analysis of digital audiences, these users’ consumer behavior, and business management– and the public sector, which so far has not adopted these technologies on a systematic basis.

  Abstract
  The radio broadcasting industry is facing a process of profound digital transformation throughout which, over the last 20 years, the strategies to preserve the traditional [...]

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• Spatial audio and immersive journalism: production, narrative design, and sense of presence

  P. Vicente, S. Pérez-Seijo

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 86

  
  

  Abstract

  This article presents the findings from an experimental study on the use of binaural audio in two long-form journalistic features broadcast on Portuguese radio. From a production and narrative design perspective, our objective is to examine whether/how binaural audio implies a transformation of previously established news radio production work principles and practices, as well as of storytelling ideation and techniques. From a user experience viewpoint, we examine whether the use of binaural audio translates into higher levels of self-reported immersion and place illusion (n = 77). Despite the spread of new audio journalism formats, media and communication studies have until now largely neglected the role of spatial audio in the construction of immersion and the illusion of place. We argue that this epistemic omission translates into an image-centric conception and operationalization of the immersive journalism proposal, which stands out as a knowledge gap regarding the work of journalistic storytellers and relating to participants’ actual experience. The original contribution of this article is threefold: (1) conceptual, by broadening the perspective of journalism studies’ scholars and media professionals on the concept of immersive journalism, which, in our view, is often incorrectly considered to be synonymous with that of virtual reality journalism; (2) practical, by generating a more nuanced understanding of how actual practitioners perceive and employ immersive journalism; (3) phenomenological, by developing an examination of the factors that influence listeners’ ultimate perception of the immersive experience.

  Abstract
  This article presents the findings from an experimental study on the use of binaural audio in two long-form journalistic features broadcast on Portuguese radio. From a production [...]

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• Internet radio and podcasts as alternative to the public service and commercial mainstream media in Poland: the cases of Radio Nowy Świat, Radio 357, and Raport o stanie świata

  U. Doliwa

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (5), 85

  
  

  Abstract

  The aim of this article is to show to what extent alternative audio media can be built online, not only by amateurs but also as a combination of the energy and involvement of professional journalists and the community of listeners who are ready to support them. Moreover, the topic of the extent to which this form of production is similar to the model of alternative media produced by amateurs described by Hackett and Caroll (2006), as well as Atton and Hamilton (2010), is also discussed. Special attention is paid to the ways this can challenge the institutional media logic and provide an interesting alternative to pro-government public media and commercial mainstream media in a country in Central and Eastern Europe that is dropping down the rankings of the Democracy Index. The podcast Raport o stanie świata and two Internet radio stations, Radio Nowy Świat and Radio 357 from Poland, which are analysed in this article, were born in an act of protest against the negative changes in public service broadcasting, which became a propaganda tool. They are financed by listeners via the crowdfunding platform Patronite and do not broadcast advertising. A framework for analysing their functioning is devised using, in particular, theories of the public sphere and of alternative media. The study is based on content analysis of the call-in broadcasts disseminated for the first anniversary of the stations, Radio Nowy Świat (April 16 and July 9, 2022) and Radio 357 (January 5, 2022). Pre-structured interviews with the patrons of Raport o stanie świata are also used. Websites and social media accounts of these initiatives, as well as press coverage and data gathered by the National Broadcasting Council in relation to Polish Radio, are analysed as well. The research found that all three initiatives Raport o stanie świata, Radio Nowy Świat and Radio 357, despite being started by professionals, share some of the characteristics of alternative media and can significantly change the model of audio production, financing and consumption routines in Poland.

  Abstract
  The aim of this article is to show to what extent alternative audio media can be built online, not only by amateurs but also as a combination of the energy and involvement [...]

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