No need for the needle. A qualitative analysis of the antivax movement in Romania

The antivax movement is now a constant phenomenon with increasing social implications. This study explores how the antivax movement is articulated in Romania on the basis of qualitative analysis applied to interviews. Our pilot study focuses on the opinions of 100 persons who oppose vaccination interviewed between 2017 and 2020. We conducted both face-to-face and online semistructured interviews to trace the factors determining attitudes against vaccination. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first such extended study to target individuals rather than groups or media discourse. We strive to provide a multifaceted view on how the antivax phenomenon is taking shape. Responses varied in style and length, so we needed to systematize the narratives. We filtered the answers using the interpretive net described by Entman (1993), thereby grouping the main narratives into four sections. We then reconstructed the implicit frames used by individuals in interpreting their position. We consider content quality analysis to be a relevant method to reveal the facets and depth of the antivax phenomenon, thereby enabling more complex explanations. We compare the results of this study with rationales stemming from similar investigations conducted around the world and then highlight opinions specific to the Romanian public.

Pasado, presente y futuro de la enseñanza universitaria del ciberperiodismo: métodos y tendencias

Teaching of digital journalism, or cyberjournalism, in Spanish universities is here to stay. Its long development since the first courses in this discipline were added to college curricula in the mid-1990s until the beginning of the 2020s, when the number of such courses exceeds 100, has led to the consolidation of this specialty. Based on a review of the syllabi of all courses related to cyberjournalism (n = 119) published online by Spanish universities, as well as a survey of their teachers (n = 51), the results of this study depicts the profile of teaching about digital journalism in Spain. The results confirm the relevance and academic strength of this discipline, albeit also revealing the difficulties faced by teachers in keeping their courses up to date in a context of rapid and continuous change in the journalistic profession. Resumen La enseñanza universitaria en España del periodismo digital, o ciberperiodismo, ha llegado para quedarse. Desde que, a mediados de los años 1990, se incorporaron las primeras materias sobre esta disciplina en los planes de estudios, hasta el comienzo de la década de 2020, cuando el número de asignaturas supera el centenar, se ha recorrido un largo camino, que ha conducido a la consolidación de esta especialidad. A partir de una revisión documental de los programas docentes de todas las asignaturas vinculadas al ciberperiodismo (n = 119) publicados online por las universidades españolas, así como de una encuesta a sus docentes (n = 51), este estudio revela el perfil de la enseñanza en torno al periodismo digital en España. Los resultados confirman la relevancia y el fortalecimiento académico de la disciplina, aunque ponen de manifiesto asimismo las dificultades de los docentes para mantener sus asignaturas actualizadas, en un contexto de rápidos y continuos cambios en la profesión periodística.

High-quality journalism in the face of Donald Trump’s theory of electoral fraud: the information strategy of the media in the 2020 US presidential election

The institutional political crisis is posited to be a great risk facing twenty-first-century societies. The instability of democracy, the increase in misinformation in electoral processes, and distrust by citizens are facts that are confirmed by studies such as The Economist Intelligence Unit (2018) or Freedom in the World (2018). In the context of the most recent US elections (3-Nov-2020), President Donald Trump initiated a dialog focused on an allegation of electoral fraud that mobilized the masses and culminated in an assault on the Capitol. In parallel, Twitter endorses the role of journalism (@ABC, @AP, @CBSNews, @CNN, @FoxNews, @NBCNews, and @Reuters) as a gatekeeper to lies on the Internet. The aim of this study is to determined how the media treated the electoral process on their Twitter accounts, analyze the strategies they followed to combat Trump’s fallacy, and verify the extent to which they contributed or not to the spread of the conspiracy theory. Using a general sample of tweets (n1 = 3,577), we applied a comparative content analysis methodology with a three-pronged approach (quantitative-qualitative-discursive) based on the use of keyword indicators (n2 = 34,430). The results confirm that the media offered verified content on the electoral process, using different sources and avoiding reproduction of Donald Trump’s delegitimization speech. In general, they engaged in a fight against the theory of electoral fraud, against disinformation, and against the polarization of citizens, which are factors that have marked a scenario of doubt about the future of democracy.

Análisis de contenido y nivel de evidencia de los artículos sobre Covid-19 más citados en la Web of Science

The scientific literature on Covid-10 has seen unprecedented growth, becoming published so rapidly that it has caused a loss of quality and the peer review process to be questioned. This research analyzes the characteristics of the publications with a wider impact on Covid-19, mainly those related to the content, the quality and level of evidence of the studies. Web of Science Core Collection was searched for articles containing the terms Covid-19 and SARS-CoV-19 and the 100 most cited articles published in 2020 were selected. The data extracted included bibliographic data, dates of submission, acceptance and publication in the journals, main topics covered, type of study and level of evidence according to the SIGN scale, and the presence of corrections. Half of the articles were published in 3 journals, most of them in the first months of 2020. The most frequent types of studies corresponded to case series, narrative reviews and expert opinions, with only 1 randomized controlled clinical trial. The articles focused mainly on the clinical characteristics and complications of the patients, diagnostic and treatment methods, as well as the epidemiology and characteristics of the virus. The design of these studies reflects a low level of evidence, and data and scientific quality may be affected by how quickly they are published, and the peer review process is performed. Resumen El crecimiento sin precedentes de la bibliografía científica sobre Covid-19 y la rapidez en su publicación ha llevado a cuestionar la calidad y el proceso de revisión por pares. Este estudio tiene como objetivo analizar las características de las publicaciones con mayor impacto sobre Covid-19, principalmente las relacionadas con el contenido, la calidad y nivel de evidencia de los estudios. Para ello, se buscó en la colección principal de Web of Science los artículos que contenían los términos Covid-19 y SARS-CoV-19 en el campo del título y se seleccionaron los 100 artículos más citados publicados en el año 2020. Además de los datos bibliográficos, se recogieron datos de las fechas de envío, aceptación y publicación en las revistas, principales temas tratados, tipo de estudio y nivel de evidencia según la escala SIGN, así como de la presencia de correcciones. Más de la mitad de los artículos están publicados en 3 revistas, y la mayoría de ellos en los primeros meses de 2020. Los tipos de estudios más frecuentes son series de casos, revisiones narrativas y opiniones de expertos, con solo 1 ensayo clínico controlado aleatorizado. El contenido de los artículos trata principalmente de las características clínicas y complicaciones de los enfermos, métodos diagnósticos y de tratamiento, así como de la epidemiología y características del virus. Los artículos presentan un nivel de evidencia bajo, a pesar de estar publicados en revistas de medicina con muy alto factor de impacto. El tiempo transcurrido entre la fecha de envío y de publicación es muy corto y cuestiona la realización y/o rigor del proceso de revisión por pares.

Dietas confinadas: análisis del discurso de la prensa sobre la nutrición en tiempos de Covid-19

The essential elements of the Spanish press’s discourse on nutrition guidelines during the Covid-19 health crisis are identified. To do this, the evolution of media representation is examined, with a semantic analysis of the news appearing in the national media in Spanish regarding nutrition and Covid-19. The analyzed period is from 31 January 2020 to 31 January 2021. The content search carried out using the Factiva database identified 117 records, which were analysed using T-LAB software. The results reveal that the press warned of hoaxes regarding nutrition during the study period. Four semantic groups are identified, informing about the most appropriate eating patterns according to the different circumstances during the pandemic. The results show that the press plays a role as an educator of Spanish society on nutrition-related topics. Resumen Se identifican los elementos esenciales sobre el discurso que la prensa española llevó a cabo sobre las pautas de nutrición durante la crisis sanitaria de la Covid-19. Se examina la evolución de la representación mediática y se efectúa un análisis semántico de las noticias aparecidas en los medios nacionales y en lengua española referidas a la nutrición y la Covid-19. El período analizado se inició el 31 de enero de 2020 y finalizó el 31 de enero de 2021. La búsqueda de contenidos se realizó mediante la base de datos Factiva. Se obtuvieron 117 registros que se analizaron mediante el software T-LAB. Los resultados revelan que la prensa alerta de los bulos sobre nutrición que se han producido durante el período analizado. Se identifican cuatro grupos semánticos orientados a informar sobre las pautas de alimentación más adecuadas según las diferentes circunstancias en la pandemia. Se constata que la prensa desempeña su papel como agente educador en la sociedad en materia de nutrición.

Audiovisual fiction and tourism promotion: The impact of film and television on the image of tourist destinations and contributions from textual analysis

The first studies of film and television as inducers of tourism appeared in the 1990s. In light of the role these media play in tourist decisions, studies of the capacity of audiovisual fiction to project a unique image of tourist attractions and destinations or to influence audience perceptions of them are particularly important. However, ever since research of this kind began, it has suffered from significant theoretical and methodological shortcomings associated mainly with the lack of an interdisciplinary approach. Most of the research has been in the field of tourism and marketing studies, with only a limited number of contributions from film and television studies. The objective of this article is to offer a critical review of studies exploring the relationship between audiovisual fiction and tourist destination image. The aim is to identify their conceptual shortcomings and to point out possible solutions with reference to audiovisual textual theory and analysis. The article begins with the identification of the main areas studied in this research: the effect on the attributes of tourist destinations and on their overall image, stereotypes, and the capacity of audiovisual fiction to vest the locations where their stories are set with different connotations. This is followed by an analysis of studies that exhibit more of an interdisciplinary approach by combining audiovisual studies and tourism studies. The article then addresses the debate over the types of audiovisual productions that researchers argue have the greatest tourism-inducing capacity. Finally, the conclusions point out possible future lines of research based more on explanation than on description, recommending the systematic incorporation of textual analysis into research on film-induced tourism, and particularly on its impact on tourist destination image.

El fact-checking hispanohablante: competencias, dificultades y propuestas de mejora desde la perspectiva de sus profesionales

Fact-checking has become a global journalism movement that is considered essential to fight against disinformation and address demands for new communication processes. Spanish-speaking fact-checking is constantly growing, with the number of platforms in Latin America and Spain increasing by more than 100% from 2018 to 2021. Collaboration networks between these platforms are also being implemented to address disinformation beyond national borders in the Spanish-speaking world. However, academic research regarding this phenomenon has mainly focused on fact-checking practices without paying much attention to the professionals themselves: the fact-checkers. Understanding the challenges faced by these professionals in Spanish-speaking contexts is key to contributing to the development of this activity beyond the Anglo-Saxon perspective. In this work, we conducted a survey (n = 52) among Spanish and Latin American fact-checkers. The professionals were asked about their perception on fact-checking’s link to journalism, the competences they believed necessary for fact-checking, the main difficulties they usually face, as well as their thoughts on proposals for potential improvements. The survey results were then enriched by conducting 13 in-depth interviews of Spanish-speaking professionals and academics with expertise in fact-checking. Studying these variables is key to design new, more adequate and attractive curricular proposals to improve the training of future journalists and help them face the enormous and complex but necessary and urgent task of fighting disinformation. Resumen La verificación de informaciones, o fact-checking, se ha convertido en un movimiento periodístico global fundamental para hacer frente a la desinformación y a las nuevas demandas de los ecosistemas comunicativos. El panorama hispanohablante no es ajeno al desarrollo del fact-checking: el número de plataformas de verificación en español ha crecido más de un 100% desde 2018 y las redes de colaboración entre iniciativas hispanas se han consolidado especialmente durante la pandemia por coronavirus. Sin embargo, la investigación ha puesto el foco principalmente en los procesos y las dinámicas de verificación, y no tanto en los protagonistas del fact-checking: los fact-checkers. Entender los retos a los que se enfrentan estos profesionales en el marco hispanohablante parece esencial para contribuir al desarrollo de esta especialidad más allá del contexto anglosajón, que ha recibido hasta ahora una mayor atención académica. En este trabajo se desarrolla una encuesta (n=52) entre verificadores de España y Latinoamérica para conocer su percepción sobre el grado de vinculación del fact-checking con el periodismo, las competencias que consideran necesarias para llevar a cabo su tarea profesional, las principales dificultades a las que se enfrentan, así como su visión sobre posibles propuestas de mejora. En una segunda fase, se enriquecieron los resultados con la realización de 13 entrevistas en profundidad a profesionales y estudiosos del fenómeno en el marco hispano. El estudio de estas variables resulta, además, de gran interés a la hora de diseñar propuestas curriculares acertadas y atractivas que mejoren la formación de los futuros periodistas en la titánica, compleja, necesaria y urgente tarea de combatir la desinformación.

Artificial intelligence, communication, and democracy in Latin America: a review of the cases of Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico

The concept of algorithmic political communication has arisen through the joint development of propaganda and communication theories, as well as the findings of computer science. This is a field that generates results that amplify and extend to political communication, such as microsegmentation or automated diffusion of content; likewise, it produces some adverse effects that hinder citizen participation in the cybersphere. This paper presents a review of works published in three Latin American countries (Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico) with artificial intelligence, communication, and democracy as their constituent elements. The data come from a total of 206 documents, including reports from supranational organisms and associations, and publications in scientific journals indexed in databases such as Google Scholar and Scopus between 2011 and 2021. The selection criterion is based on the total or partial appearance of certain keywords, plus filters by relevance and impact factors. This systematic review is structured based along four axes that explain democracy according to Landman et al. (2009): electoral participation, participation of civil society, media integrity, and impartial administration. The main conclusions indicate that many of the practices in the studied countries are still at an incipient or experimental stage, with algorithmic political communication being used especially during electoral campaigns. Similarly, an increasing resistance from civil society to the influence of social networks is starting to be detected.

Suscripción a la prensa digital como contención a los discursos de odio

User discussions on digital media usually include offensive comments. This kind of content has become more frequent and intense because of political polarization and the health and economic crises associated with Covid-19. Little is known about the journalists who moderate these forums, how they approach this task in such difficult circumstances, and their opinion about their role in the democratic public debate. To improve understanding of this phenomenon, we carried out 12 semistructured open interviews with moderators from several types of Spanish digital newspapers: generalist, local, and sports. The aim was to ascertain the strengths and weaknesses of moderation filters against hate speech in readers’ comments. The results show that the introduction of paywalls in many Spanish newspapers has reduced the intensity of such hate speech, although it has not completely disappeared. These moderation systems are limited mainly to ruling out insults and swearing. There is consensus among the interviewed journalists that most hate speech comments relate to political news. The most frequent topics are racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and homophobia. Several journalists presented the banning of offending users as a possible solution. However, others see this as a business opportunity and proposed solutions ranging from creating specialized moderators to controlling the activity history or trying to educate those users how to participate in a democratic forum. This research contributes to the ongoing debate about moderation systems among media professionals. Resumen Los comentarios de los usuarios en los medios digitales contienen con frecuencia alusiones incívicas, que se han incrementado por la polarización política y las crisis sanitaria y económica provocadas por la Covid 19. Se sabe poco sobre cómo los periodistas encargados de moderar estos foros se enfrentan a esta situación y cuál es su punto de vista acerca de los mismos y de su importancia en el debate democrático. Se han realizado doce entrevistas abiertas de tipo semiestructurado a estos responsables de la prensa digital española: generalista, regional y deportiva. Se analizan estos materiales para valorar las fortalezas y las debilidades de los sistemas de moderación de los discursos de odio que afloran en los comentarios de los lectores. Los resultados muestran que la introducción de la suscripción en la mayoría de los periódicos digitales ha reducido la presencia de comentarios con odio, aunque no han desaparecido. Los sistemas empleados para controlar estos comentarios filtran básicamente insultos y palabras soeces. Los entrevistados coinciden en señalar que una parte muy importante de los comentarios de odio se produce en la sección de política. El racismo, la xenofobia, la misoginia y la homofobia se citan como los temas más recurrentes en estos discursos. Algunos periodistas plantean la eliminación de la participación de los usuarios. Otros ven ventajas desde el punto de vista del negocio y proponen desde crear equipos especializados para ejercer la moderación, controlar a los autores a través del historial de sus actividades o sencillamente educarles para intervenir en foros democráticos. Estos resultados muestran que el debate sobre los sistemas de moderación permanece abierto entre los profesionales.

The role of school mediation in the development of digital skills among Spanish minors

Given the growing importance of digital literacy in children’s education, this article analyzes the role of school mediation in the development of digital competences among Spanish minors. Based on the results obtained from a survey of 2,900 Spanish schoolchildren between the ages of 9 and 17 years conducted at the end of 2018, we explore their attachment to their school, the digital mediation they receive at the center, and their digital competences. The data show that they have a positive feeling of belonging to their school. The most widespread competences among minors are precisely those most related to the playful use of digital devices. Analysis of the association between school mediation and the acquisition of various types of digital skills shows that mediation is effective in the acquisition of most competences among pre-adolescents, confirming the need for early school mediation. There is no doubt that media and digital education contributes to the achievement of more inclusive environments. Educational policies oriented toward safer use of the Internet and a change in the pedagogical paradigm in primary and secondary education should contribute to enhanced development of digital skills during childhood and adolescence.