Documents published in Scipedia

• Media and social communication in the context of Colombian crisis, polarization and nonconformism

  A. Barrios-Rubio, M. Gutiérrez-García

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 44

  
  

  Abstract

  The communication industry in Colombia has promoted over the last decade a process of transformation and design of new proposals in both traditional media and digital natives, a range of operational strategies to distribute textual, sound, and visual formats through the social networks, adapting the content to the particularities and attributes of each one of them. The irruption of the implementation of the peace accords, the pandemic and citizen nonconformity taken to the streets have served to verify the real dimension of this reconfiguration, as well as its effectiveness in terms of credibility and scope in the face of an unprecedented scenario that has transformed the social and cultural interaction of citizens through technology. This research focuses on the response of Colombian journalistic agents to the demand for information during the period 2019, 2020 and 2021, from a mixed quantitative-descriptive methodology that allows identifying, quantifying, and assessing the relationship between newspapers, radio stations and television channels with the new platforms. The corpus of the study is made up of the publications on social networks of the Colombian media with the greatest circulation according to the Colombian Association for Media Research: two newspapers (El tiempo and El espectador), five radio stations (Caracol radio, W radio, Blu radio, RCN radio and La FM) and the news from the two television networks with the highest audience (Noticias Caracol and Noticias RCN). The results of the study show a reinforcement of the brand of the journalistic company as a reference for information and credibility, however, the current situation has not served to legitimize the role of journalists in social networks and has underlined the fragility of a media ecosystem highly exposed to polarization, manipulation, and mistrust.

  Abstract
  The communication industry in Colombia has promoted over the last decade a process of transformation and design of new proposals in both traditional media and digital natives, [...]

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• Injecting disinformation into public space: pseudo-media and reality-altering narratives

  D. Palau Sampio, A. Carratalá

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 43

  
  

  Abstract

  This paper analyses the context of disinformation in Spain from the perspective of the pseudo-media (i.e., websites that mimic conventional media to offer partisan content based on alternative facts). Using a quantitative (N = 1,143) and qualitative (n = 396) methodology, this research analyses publications from eight Spanish pseudo-media that reach more than 4 million unique users. Results reveal an interest in three topics: vaccination, restrictions and speculation about Covid-19, national politics –focused on criticism against government– and topics related to human rights –mainly LGBTI, gender, immigration– with a total of 58.1% of the content published in four sections (International, Spain, Society, and Economy). The study reveals a growing trend towards polarisation and the use of clickbait techniques in four out of ten headlines. The Internet and social media are the most common sources quoted, while a third of the items lack sources or correspond to opinion pieces. Minorities and vulnerable groups are framed as a social threat, and the presentation of the coalition government as a danger to Spain that must be put to an end, which makes the discourse of these websites in tune with the ideology of the far right wing.

  Abstract
  This paper analyses the context of disinformation in Spain from the perspective of the pseudo-media (i.e., websites that mimic conventional media to offer partisan content [...]

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• The emergence of populism in Spain: metaphorical frames of Vox and its online community during the 2019 parliamentary elections

  A. Capdevila, C. Moragas-Fernández, J. Grau-Masot

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 42

  
  

  Abstract

  In the context of the political instability shown by the calling of four general elections between 2015 and 2019, the populist party Vox gained parliamentary seats for the first time in a country that, thus far, had always remained outside of European trends. When populism, and especially the presence of far-right parties, are taken into account as a potential barometer of the health of representative politics, it is paramount to understand how these organizations build their discourses and spread them on social media. To identify the main ideas that guided Vox’s online campaign and how its community is defined, we analyzed both the morphology of the community (n1 = 1,674,681) and discourses on Twitter during the two 2019 campaign periods. The samples used (n2 = 511, n3 = 746) are made up of all the tweets posted by Vox, its presidential candidate Santiago Abascal, and the main profiles of the online community. We used critical metaphor analysis, which allows us to qualitatively approach the content of the messages and establish whether the characteristic features of populist political communication are present. The results show that, in both campaigns, the organization’s strategy was developed from the metaphorical frames of “the progressive dictatorship” as opposed to “living Spain/tradesmen/the Spain of common sense,” threatened by “wild immigrants,” “coup plotters,” and “fake media.” This framework was partially distributed among its online community.

  Abstract
  In the context of the political instability shown by the calling of four general elections between 2015 and 2019, the populist party Vox gained parliamentary seats for the [...]

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• Third-order election. Spanish political parties’ communication on Facebook during the 2019 European Parliament election campaign

  V. Fenoll

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 41

  
  

  Abstract

  The 2019 European Parliament elections were held in Spain in a context of political fragmentation and polarisation, following the recent incorporation of the extreme right into the national parliament. Elections to the European Parliament are considered second-order elections and are sometimes used by citizens to cast a punishment vote, favouring new political actors of a contestatary character to gain visibility. Social media networks such as Facebook play an important role because they offer these parties a space where they can disseminate their messages on equal terms, beyond media control. This study conducts a content analysis of the posts published on Facebook by Spanish national political parties in the month prior to the 2019 local, regional and European elections. The main goal is to analyse the communication strategy used by Spanish political parties in this social media, in order to find out the importance given by the parties to the European elections and whether there are differences in strategy at each level. The results reveal that the European elections are a third-order election for Spanish parties, behind local elections. Most parties practice a dual campaign, in which the topics, goals and emotions posted on Facebook vary according to the political level at which they are targeted. This tendency is more pronounced in populist parties and seems to be shaped by the national political context and aimed at matching the concerns of Spaniards at the European level. Despite the incorporation of the extreme right into the Spanish political chessboard, the negative Eurosceptic discourse is only present in the two populist parties and does not affect the rest of the political forces.

  Abstract
  The 2019 European Parliament elections were held in Spain in a context of political fragmentation and polarisation, following the recent incorporation of the extreme right [...]

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• Profile of digital slow journalism audiences in Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico

  C. Peñafiel-Saiz, M. Manias-Muñoz, I. Manias-Muñoz

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 40

  
  

  Abstract

  The aim of this work is to study slow journalism audiences, with a particular interest in Latin America, specifically Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. Five case studies were carried out, covering Anfibia (Argentina), Arcadia (Colombia), Gatopardo (Mexico), La silla vacía (Colombia), and Letras libres (Mexico), along with a Delphi study (double round with 27 participants) and a structured questionnaire (of 1,500 people between the ages of 18 and 65 years). The results indicate that 75% of the surveyed population obtain their information from all kinds of digital media, among whom 84% use social media for this purpose. Slow journalism is still mainly unknown to a large fraction (17%) of the population, although once given its definition and some named examples, 40% of those surveyed claimed to have read the slow press at some time. Quality is the main reason for its consumption (62%), followed by searching for specific subjects (46%), especially for young people (65%) and in Colombia (52%). Experts in slow journalism agree that the key to consolidating an audience involves listening to and interacting with its members, together with their active participation in the media.

  Abstract
  The aim of this work is to study slow journalism audiences, with a particular interest in Latin America, specifically Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. Five case studies were [...]

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• Communicative frames in the online strategy of European political parties during the coronavirus crisis: a polyhedral look at the far right

  J. Tuñón-Navarro, S. López-Álvarez

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 39

  
  

  Abstract

  The current debate in the academic sphere regarding the role of extreme right-wing parties during the coronavirus pandemic extends to its communicative aspect. While some authors argue that these parties have focused their messages on the perspectives of fear, the threat represented by immigrants, or conspiracies in an unsuccessful way, even considering them to be the “losers of the crisis,” others emphasize their ability to build a sense of community through resilience. The present research aims to take up these discussions and delve deeper into the study of the communicative frames of European political parties, with a particular focus on the far right, to draw more nuanced conclusions. For this purpose, a double methodology has been implemented through the coding of the frames used in a total of 2,757 Twitter posts during the month of March 2020 from the major government and extreme right-wing parties in Germany, France, Spain, and Poland. The results show that the parties studied present differences in their communicative frames, not according to their position on the ideological spectrum, as might be expected, but rather to their role as the executive power in the government or as part of the opposition of their respective legislative chambers.

  Abstract
  The current debate in the academic sphere regarding the role of extreme right-wing parties during the coronavirus pandemic extends to its communicative aspect. While some [...]

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• The video game as an information literacy tool for university students

  Ó. Martín-Martín, B. Manero, A. Romero-Hernández

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (4), 38

  
  

  Abstract

  Video games are useful learning tools in different fields. This work seeks to evaluate, through a self-developed video game, their usefulness as a learning tool for the information literacy of undergraduate students. The videogame “The last exam” was developed after the analysis of 1,639 user queries registered over 2 years at the Complutense University Library, and aims to answer queries common to other university libraries. To evaluate its impact, a single-group pilot experiment was carried out with 14 undergraduate students using a pre-test/post-test validated by experts. The results show significant improvements in the students’ information skills, as well as positive evaluations of the exercise. We conclude that the incorporation of video games as a complement to the content of library training programs can be beneficial, especially as an introduction or for reinforcement or evaluation.

  Abstract
  Video games are useful learning tools in different fields. This work seeks to evaluate, through a self-developed video game, their usefulness as a learning tool for the information [...]

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• The Internet, populism, and deliberative democracy: A panel study of 167 countries from 2000 to 2018

  J. Lu, Z. Liu, J. Jin

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (3), 37

  
  

  Abstract

    The wide adoption of the Internet gave rise to populism, which is regarded as a critical threat to deliberative democracy. This paper was a cross-national panel study to explore the Internet’s populist impacts on deliberative democracy. It had two specific objectives. One was to examine whether or to what extent Internet penetration has populist impacts on deliberative dimensions, including reasoned justification, common good, respectful counterarguments, range of consultation, and engaged society. The other was to examine how Internet penetration moderates a country’s formal deliberative process, referring to the interaction among state institutions, the public sphere, and civil society. Using data from Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) and the United Nations, we run panel analyses with a sample of 3,173 units in 167 countries from 2000 to 2018. The results showed that Internet penetration increased calls for the common good, disrespected counterarguments, narrowed the range of consultation, and expanded engagement in public deliberation. In addition, Internet penetration strengthened the effects of public sphere on reasoned justification and range of consultation, but weakened the effects of civil society on reasoned justification, common good, respectful counterarguments, and range of consultation.

  Abstract
    The wide adoption of the Internet gave rise to populism, which is regarded as a critical threat to deliberative democracy. This paper was a cross-national panel study to [...]

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• Bringing journalism back to its roots: examining fact-checking practices, methods, and challenges in the Mediterranean context

  V. Moreno-Gil, X. Ramon-Vegas, M. Mauri-Ríos

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (2), 36

  
  

  Abstract

  The rise of fact-checking as an innovative tool aimed at improving democratic well-being has become a transnational movement in journalism. In June 2021, the Duke Reporters’ Lab database features 341 such initiatives around the world, including 33 active fact-checking projects in countries pertaining to the Mediterranean or Polarized Pluralist Model (Hallin; Mancini, 2004). Following previous research on fact-checking in other territories, this qualitative study expands the understanding of how this practice is performed by four platforms of countries belonging to this journalistic culture: Maldita.es (Spain), Les Surligneurs (France), Observador (Portugal), and Pagella Politica (Italy). Through in-depth interviews with their decision-makers, this work offers a deep understanding of the structure, agenda, practices, and values, the role of the public, and the challenges that these organizations face. Normally run by small but multidisciplinary teams, the studied initiatives show high levels of transparency and a tendency for continuous improvement and professionalization despite their limitations. Following the example of leading initiatives in the USA, the UK, Latin America and Europe, the analyzed organizations cover a wide range of thematic areas and make use of the latest digital tools. They employ robust methodologies when selecting the content they verify, consult an extensive range of sources, and set various control filters before publication, which proves their commitment to transparency and accountability. Furthermore, they guarantee the right of reply and are widely open to public participation and broader dissemination of their work through mainstream media. From difficulties in accessing public information to scarcity of resources and increased competition, fact-checking platforms in the Mediterranean context face major challenges that have forced them to rethink their role and find new revenue streams. These organizations highlight the need to enhance the impact of fact-checking among citizens, journalists, and politicians and, ultimately, to go back to the roots of journalism.

  Abstract
  The rise of fact-checking as an innovative tool aimed at improving democratic well-being has become a transnational movement in journalism. In June 2021, the Duke Reporters’ [...]

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• Viralizing the truth: predictive factors of fact-checkers’ engagement on TikTok

  D. García-Marín, G. Salvat-Martinrey

  El profesional de la información (2022). Vol. 31, (2), 35

  
  

  Abstract

  Disinformation is one of the great challenges threatening the health of the public space and democratic systems, which must be based on truth to facilitate decision-making by citizens. For this reason, the fight against fake news has attracted attention from professionals and researchers during the last five years. In the journalistic field, numerous fact-checking outlets have been established. They use the media at their disposal and, above all, social networks to make verified content visible. TikTok, an emerging social video platform (very popular among the youth population), is the latest tool to be explored by fact-checkers to make the truth public. In this context, this paper aims to (1) determine the characteristics of fact-checkers’ videos that drive their engagement on TikTok and (2) identify the factors that predict the number of likes, comments, views, times shared, and engagement rate of such content. All the videos published on this platform by the Spanish fact-checkers Maldito bulo and Newtral (n = 320) during the first 26 months of activity of both outlets were analyzed. Bivariate correlational studies, multiple linear regression, and binary logistic regression tests were applied. The type of content (verification versus explanation) has a greater impact on engagement than the topics of the videos. Verifications multiply the probability of a content getting an above-average number of likes, by 2.42. If the video is hosted by a woman, it doubles its chances of getting an above-average number of shares. Our results provide other valuable data that can help fact-checkers make their content more easily spreadable.

  Abstract
  Disinformation is one of the great challenges threatening the health of the public space and democratic systems, which must be based on truth to facilitate decision-making [...]

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