Papers by Tripodos Journal
Dark Public Relations strategies are an unethical practice aimed at diverting attention, damagin... more Dark Public Relations strategies are an unethical practice aimed at diverting attention, damaging competition, or establishing narratives of individual responsibility for public issues. This paper explores this practice as a way to discredit citizen activism, using the case of Malaga (Spain) as an example. This study examines associative movements, their demands, interviews with collectives and experts, and media analysis to understand citizen activism in Malaga and its interactions with institutions, companies, and the media. The results show the challenges Malaga faces due to tourism development, gentrification, rising house prices and the loss of local heritage, as well as the reactions of the different collectives that have mobilized under the initiative “A Malaga to live in”. The conclusions highlight how authorities develop strategies aimed at undervaluing and overshadowing the demands of local residents, justifying them with arguments about economic and tourism development.
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Las estrategias de Dark Public Relations constituyen una práctica poco ética enfocada a desviar la atención, dañar a la competencia o establecer narrativas de responsabilidad individual sobre asuntos públicos, entre otras cuestiones. Este trabajo explora esta práctica como vía para desacreditar el activismo ciudadano a través del caso de la ciudad de Málaga (España). Mediante un análisis del movimiento asociativo, sus demandas, entrevistas a colectivos, expertos y un análisis de medios, se pretenden analizar las prácticas activistas ciudadanas desarrolladas en la ciudad de Málaga y su relación con las instituciones, empresas y medios de comunicación. Los resultados plasman el problema que la ciudad tiene debido a la turistificación, la gentrificación, el aumento del precio de la vivienda y la pérdida de patrimonio local, así como las reacciones de los distintos colectivos que se han unido para luchar por “Una Málaga para vivir”. Las conclusiones señalan cómo las autoridades desarrollan estrategias encaminadas a minusvalorar y opacar las demandas vecinales con el argumento del desarrollo económico y turístico de la ciudad.
In March 2020, the COVID-19 crisis prompted the worldwide implementation of extraordinary measure... more In March 2020, the COVID-19 crisis prompted the worldwide implementation of extraordinary measures to contain the disease. This situation forced political actors to use both digital channels and traditional media to communicate preventive measures and the impact of the crisis to the public. This research uses content analysis to examine the communication and discursive strategies of leaders from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain during their announcements of the state of alarm in each country. The results reveal distinct narrative styles in the interventions of these politicians, which can be clearly identified along the left-right political spectrum. In addition, the study identifies the use of common resources aimed at fostering cohesion and citizen awareness at a time of great difficulty for the countries they represent.
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En marzo de 2020, la crisis de la COVID-19 impulsó la implementación mundial de medidas extraordinarias para contener la enfermedad. Esta situación obligó a los actores políticos a utilizar tanto canales digitales como medios tradicionales para comunicar al público las medidas preventivas y el impacto de la crisis. Esta investigación utiliza el análisis de contenido para examinar las estrategias comunicativas y discursivas de los líderes de Canadá, Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Francia, Alemania y España durante sus anuncios del estado de alarma en cada país. Los resultados revelan estilos narrativos distintos en las intervenciones de estos políticos, los cuales pueden identificarse claramente a lo largo del espectro político izquierda-derecha. Además, el estudio identifica el uso de recursos comunes orientados a fomentar la cohesión y la concienciación ciudadana en un momento de gran dificultad para los países que representan.
Following McLuhan’s reflections regarding the influence of the medium on how users perceive messa... more Following McLuhan’s reflections regarding the influence of the medium on how users perceive messages, this study analyses minors’ perception of media and screens, with special emphasis on smartphones. The results are based on a survey of 1,070 children aged 10-14 from Spain. According to the study, children consider mobile phones as the primary medium for receiving advertising, as well as the one that annoys them the most with commercial messages. Despite their interactive nature, respondents found outdoor advertising and television more entertaining and amusing than mobile phones, yet they considered television to be the most reliable medium. Finally, they highlighted the personalised aspect of smartphones.
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Siguiendo las reflexiones de McLuhan sobre la influencia del medio en la percepción de los mensajes por parte de los usuarios, este estudio analiza la percepción de los menores sobre los medios y las pantallas, con especial atención a los smartphones. Los resultados se basan en una encuesta realizada a 1.070 niños españoles de entre 10 y 14 años. Según el estudio, los niños consideran que el móvil es el principal medio para recibir publicidad, así como el que más les molesta con mensajes comerciales. A pesar de su carácter interactivo, los encuestados consideran que la publicidad exterior y la televisión son más entretenidas y divertidas que los teléfonos móviles, aunque consideran que la televisión es el medio más fiable. Por último, destacaron el aspecto personalizado de los smartphones.
In an era where disinformation spreads at unprecedented speeds, strategic communication emerges a... more In an era where disinformation spreads at unprecedented speeds, strategic communication emerges as a critical tool in countering false narratives and building resilience within organizations. This study delves into the effectiveness of communication strategies in combating disinformation and enhancing organizational resilience. Using case studies and content analysis of five multinational corporations and five political organizations, the study is guided by the Situation Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) and Resilience Theory (RT). The findings uncovered varying effectiveness in communication strategies, including immediate clarifications, social media engagement, and collaboration with fact-checkers. Further findings revealed that multinational corporations demonstrated success in proactive measures such as real-time monitoring and transparency, resulting in reduced disinformation spread by up to 40%. In contrast, political organizations while facing unique challenges due to polarized environments achieved notable gains through grassroots engagement and rapid responses. Further findings revealed the critical role of trust-building and tailored communication strategies in fostering stakeholder confidence. The study proposes a six-pronged framework integrating proactive monitoring, transparent communication, and stakeholder collaboration to mitigate disinformation and enhance resilience. These findings contribute theoretical insights and practical strategies to the fields of crisis communication and organizational studies.
This study examines the visual portrayal of the political leadership of Vladimir Putin and Volody... more This study examines the visual portrayal of the political leadership of Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. By using a qualitative methodology based on the semiotics of image and employing tools such as Content Discourse
Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis, photographs published by international agencies have been analysed in order to explore how these leaders communicate and present themselves to the public through photography. Nine specific categories of analysis have been established
for the purpose of thoroughly examining ten photographs from the first
month of the conflict: type of shot; presence of other people, or alone; framing; colours; context, setting, non-verbal communication, attire and aesthetics; and lighting. Images of Putin depict him as an authoritarian and autocratic leader, emphasizing his control, power, isolation through closed environments, his imposing body language, and symbols of national authority. By contrast, Zelensky is shown in contexts that are
more varied and accessible, using military attire and gestures of resistance to convey solidarity, empathy, and participative leadership. This visual contrast highlights the distinct communicative strategies in the approach they take toward leadership. This study also highlights the importance of images in the construction of political leadership narratives.
The results of the 2022-2023 longitudinal study on the typification of the digital transformation... more The results of the 2022-2023 longitudinal study on the typification of the digital transformation of the journalistic company in Latin America, carried out by the Institute of Journalism of the Inter-American Press Association IAPA-SIP, with the support of the Faculty of Communication and Information Technologies of the Hemisferios University are presented, based on the variables of size by number of journalists, economic return of content, use of tools for the knowledge of the audience, needs to accelerate digitization, sources of financing, closing expectations, alternatives of charge and training interest. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire was applied to a representative sample of 354 journalists, including owners, directors, editors and journalists in general. One of the biggest findings is that the news companies, in a large proportion, does not connect with the new audiences, digital communities, tribes and specific niches, since they still do not use the metric tools for the corresponding connection.
Tripodos, 2020
In this paper I present ten patterns of successful silence which professional communicators use i... more In this paper I present ten patterns of successful silence which professional communicators use in their daily work. A silence succeeds if, first, it is mutually recognised as communication and, second, it conveys meaning, which the listener principally interprets the way the speaker has implied. The focus here is on communicative silence, although non-communicative silence is also a common and legitimate technique. I remain as close as possible to the language of the practitioner, which is both functional and rich in proto-theories that wait to be developed. Patterns are tools, not rules. Rules are abstract and universal. Tools are concrete and situational. Patterns depend on the context and objectives of a campaign —they do not work in every situation. One needs to know how to select and apply them. Coded in shortcut titles, some patterns are: know when to shut up; engagement is a means, not an end; no negative publicity first; everything you say is on the record; people follow le...
As Slovakia commemorates its 20th anniversary of EU and NATO accession in 2024, it is foreseeable... more As Slovakia commemorates its 20th anniversary of EU and NATO accession in 2024, it is foreseeable that new disinformation narratives will emerge, significantly shaping aspects of societal and political discourse. Therefore, there is an urgent need for research on narratives surrounding the current presentation of the military conflict in Ukraine. Utilizing qualitative content analysis, our study concentrates on identifying the most dominant narratives related to the military conflict in Ukraine, given its proximity as the eastern neighbour of post-communist Slovakia. We conducted our research within the framework of five of the most popular pro-Russian disinformation websites in Slovakia, which have been considered dominant tools of Russian media propaganda in the country in recent years. Our findings shed light on the nature of disinformation
and pro-Russian narratives during the time of the military conflict
in Ukraine. Finally, the results of the study call for urgent and effective
solutions that can engage a wide audience as effectively as pro-Russian
agents (not only) in Slovakia.
This study examines the contribution of the Social Sciences to disinformation research. Usi... more This study examines the contribution of the Social Sciences to disinformation research. Using network analysis and bibliometrics with the Bibliometrix tool in R, we analyze academic publications in Scopus and Web of Science (WOS) to understand scholarly work on misinfor-mation, disinformation, and fake news. We compare data from Scopus and WOS, explore research trends, identify influential authors, examine relevant journals, assess productive institutions and countries, analyze author key-words, and provide a brief analysis of highly cited articles. The findings reveal the scholarly landscape of dis-information research within the Social Sciences. The comparison of Scopus and WOS data highlights the coverage and representation of disinformation studies. Research trends indicate the field’s growth and acceptance through publication and citation rates. Influ-ential authors are identified based on publication output and h-index. Key journals in the field are identified, and productive institutions and countries are assessed. The analysis of author keywords reveals central themes and topics within the discipline. In addition, the analysis of highly cited articles pro-vides insights into the theoretical and methodological aspects that have re-ceived significant attention
How Fact-Checkers Define and Apply “Objective Journalism”. Cases of Study of Italy and Spain
Tripodos, Nov 26, 2023
The process of fact-checking has emerged as a specialised practice within the news media industry... more The process of fact-checking has emerged as a specialised practice within the news media industry. This research aims to examine how fact-checkers contribute to the construction of “objectivity” through their verification practices, with a specific focus on the methods and sources that they employ. In addition, it analyses how fact-checkers distinguish themselves from traditional practices of legacy media in how they define themselves. To achieve this, we looked into two cases of study involving two fact-checkers from Italy and two from Spain. We conducted a qualitative analysis of the self-presentation of each media outlet and a content analysis of the news they published over the course of a year. The findings reveal differences between the Spanish and Italian fact-checkers in terms of the topics covered and the sources used for debunking. Despite their perceived image as champions of “journalistic purity” and advocates of “truth”, we criticise this aspect, particularly with regard to their selection of information sources. We question how the fact-checkers’ image and identity directly impact journalism and the broader information ecosystem.
Trípodos/Trípodos, Apr 15, 2024
We studied the dynamics of implementation of AI solutions in the main newspapers in Spain, determ... more We studied the dynamics of implementation of AI solutions in the main newspapers in Spain, determining the departments or professionals involved, the current uses, and how AI affects their organization chart and professional profiles, as well as providing insights into the future trends of this technology in the sector. For this purpose, a qualitative methodology was employed, based on interviews with a purposive sample of executives from the 10 newspapers with the largest circulation in Spain: El País, La Vanguardia,
Tripodos, 2020
The presence of ever more conflicting stances between Europhiles and Eurosceptics has revealed so... more The presence of ever more conflicting stances between Europhiles and Eurosceptics has revealed some audiovisual discourses unknown until now. The fragmentation of inconclusive narrative discourse and staged situations with a clear intent to clash all make it necessary to analyse in detail the role given by the audiovisual media to the European process of democratisation. This study addresses the audiovisual discourse in Spanish public television (TVE) with the intention of discovering how the different topics addressed in debates are dealt with in audiovisual production, and whether those topics have benefited from certain decisions by the production team that are subjective a priori. Using external codifiers, the intensity of each question has been checked and the result has been correlated with the dependent variables “[camera] shot with question while listening” and “shot with question with split screen”. The variables have been subjected to descriptive analyses, correlation with...
This article examines the coverage of the conflict in Ukraine on the CGTN English website during ... more This article examines the coverage of the conflict in Ukraine on the CGTN English website during the first three months. Through a quantitative content analysis of 1,799 news items, this research identifies the predominant frames, social actors, and sources of information employed in the media coverage. The results reveal that the “diplomatic frame” predominates, followed by the “war frame”. The “economic frame” gains more prominence over time, compared to the “human interest frame”. Over these months, CGTN moves from an impartial descriptive approach to one that attributes responsibility variously to both sides, while striving to maintain a neutral overall position.
In the contemporary global context, characterized by political crises and a
weakened democracy du... more In the contemporary global context, characterized by political crises and a
weakened democracy due to the impact of populism and disinformation,
the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a new challenge to the public sphere. The social, economic, and geopolitical ramifications of the conflict at a global level remain uncertain. However, public perception has been influenced by new forms of leadership and emotion-based communication. This research employs a content analysis methodology to examine the digital discourse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Telegram platform during the first year of the war. This messaging network promotes one-way communication, immediacy, and access to active follower communities. The results from analyzing his 2,089 posts demonstrate the predominance of strategies directed
towards the internationalisation of the conflict and mobilizing support of
Ukraine. Furthermore, the analysis of emotions reveals the presence of values such as gratitude, hope, and pride, aimed at constructing Zelensky’s image as a heroic figure in the digitised society of the 21st century.
Tripodos Journal, 2024
Artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived in the field of communication, as well as in other areas... more Artificial intelligence (AI) has arrived in the field of communication, as well as in other areas of society-including economics, medicine, engineering, and transportation-and is here to stay. This computer science field and scientific discipline, which focuses on creating systems that carry out tasks that normally require human intelligence without the need for people to supervise their work, ranges from deep learning that drives image and voice recognition to natural language processing and automation. It is a constantly evolving area that includes different levels and types of AI, and has multiple applications in the field of technologically mediated communication as well as in the field of news organizations, media, and journalism. Any reflection and study on the impact of AI today and in the future requires multiple nuances and analysis from different disciplines and perspectives. The application of AI to communication has undoubtedly opened up a wide range of opportunities and challenges that, at the very least, invites us to try and understand what it implies, what has changed, what may change, the precautions to be taken when managing its use, and the role of communication professionals when working with devices that use AI technology. Advances in AI have improved efficiency in the communication field together with machine learning and human-machine communication, but they have also planned new challenges for all the actors involved, with changes in attitudes towards AI itself (Brewer et al., 2022) as well as for the field of scientific research. AI and communication studies investigating social, political, cultural and ethical aspects show the maturity of the field (Nah et al., 2020), while suggesting challenges. In particular, research on the use of AI applied to communication and journalism has increased in recent years, especially in North America (Calvo-Rubio and Ufarte-Ruiz, 2021), but also in Europe and Asia. The results of the most recent studies point to a progressive increase in contributions from the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom (Sonni et al., 2024).
Tripodos Journal, 2024
This study explores the biases present in artificial intelligence (AI) tools, focusing on GPT-3.5... more This study explores the biases present in artificial intelligence (AI) tools, focusing on GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and Bing. The performance of the tools has been compared with a group of experts in linguistics, and journalists specialized in breaking news and international affairs. It reveals that GPT-3.5, widely accessible and free, exhibits a higher tendency rate in its word generation, suggesting an intrinsic bias within the tool itself rather than in the input data. Comparatively, GPT-4 and Bing demonstrate differing patterns in term generation and subjectivity, with GPT-4 aligning more closely with expert opinions and producing fewer opinative words. The research highlights the extensive use of generative AI in media and among the general populace, emphasizing the need for careful reliance on AI-generated content. The findings stress the risks of misinformation and biased reporting inherent in unexamined AI outputs. The challenge for journalists and information professionals is to ensure accuracy and ethical judgment in content creation to maintain the quality and diversity of content in journalistic practices.
Tripodos Journal, 2024
The evolution of technology is giving rise to new scenarios in communication, information access,... more The evolution of technology is giving rise to new scenarios in communication, information access, and social relations. Particularly, artificial intelligence has a great impact on the current media ecosystem, including social, academic, communicative, health aspects, and interpersonal relationships. This research aims to study how artificial intelligence is reflected in the scientific production in the most relevant publications in Social Sciences. To this end, a systematic review of the scientific literature published in Spanish on the Web of Science and Scopus databases spanning from 2018 to the first three quarters of 2023 was carried out, following the standards of PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses). From an initial sample of 159 articles, 109 were analysed after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Results show that 2022 was the most productive year, with Spain having the highest number of publications. Furthermore, most of the research was published on Scopus and in the field of Law, with a predominance of qualitative methodology. The key themes were the benefits of implenting artificial intelligence (AI) and its dangers and threats.
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Papers by Tripodos Journal
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Las estrategias de Dark Public Relations constituyen una práctica poco ética enfocada a desviar la atención, dañar a la competencia o establecer narrativas de responsabilidad individual sobre asuntos públicos, entre otras cuestiones. Este trabajo explora esta práctica como vía para desacreditar el activismo ciudadano a través del caso de la ciudad de Málaga (España). Mediante un análisis del movimiento asociativo, sus demandas, entrevistas a colectivos, expertos y un análisis de medios, se pretenden analizar las prácticas activistas ciudadanas desarrolladas en la ciudad de Málaga y su relación con las instituciones, empresas y medios de comunicación. Los resultados plasman el problema que la ciudad tiene debido a la turistificación, la gentrificación, el aumento del precio de la vivienda y la pérdida de patrimonio local, así como las reacciones de los distintos colectivos que se han unido para luchar por “Una Málaga para vivir”. Las conclusiones señalan cómo las autoridades desarrollan estrategias encaminadas a minusvalorar y opacar las demandas vecinales con el argumento del desarrollo económico y turístico de la ciudad.
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En marzo de 2020, la crisis de la COVID-19 impulsó la implementación mundial de medidas extraordinarias para contener la enfermedad. Esta situación obligó a los actores políticos a utilizar tanto canales digitales como medios tradicionales para comunicar al público las medidas preventivas y el impacto de la crisis. Esta investigación utiliza el análisis de contenido para examinar las estrategias comunicativas y discursivas de los líderes de Canadá, Estados Unidos, Reino Unido, Francia, Alemania y España durante sus anuncios del estado de alarma en cada país. Los resultados revelan estilos narrativos distintos en las intervenciones de estos políticos, los cuales pueden identificarse claramente a lo largo del espectro político izquierda-derecha. Además, el estudio identifica el uso de recursos comunes orientados a fomentar la cohesión y la concienciación ciudadana en un momento de gran dificultad para los países que representan.
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Siguiendo las reflexiones de McLuhan sobre la influencia del medio en la percepción de los mensajes por parte de los usuarios, este estudio analiza la percepción de los menores sobre los medios y las pantallas, con especial atención a los smartphones. Los resultados se basan en una encuesta realizada a 1.070 niños españoles de entre 10 y 14 años. Según el estudio, los niños consideran que el móvil es el principal medio para recibir publicidad, así como el que más les molesta con mensajes comerciales. A pesar de su carácter interactivo, los encuestados consideran que la publicidad exterior y la televisión son más entretenidas y divertidas que los teléfonos móviles, aunque consideran que la televisión es el medio más fiable. Por último, destacaron el aspecto personalizado de los smartphones.
Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis, photographs published by international agencies have been analysed in order to explore how these leaders communicate and present themselves to the public through photography. Nine specific categories of analysis have been established
for the purpose of thoroughly examining ten photographs from the first
month of the conflict: type of shot; presence of other people, or alone; framing; colours; context, setting, non-verbal communication, attire and aesthetics; and lighting. Images of Putin depict him as an authoritarian and autocratic leader, emphasizing his control, power, isolation through closed environments, his imposing body language, and symbols of national authority. By contrast, Zelensky is shown in contexts that are
more varied and accessible, using military attire and gestures of resistance to convey solidarity, empathy, and participative leadership. This visual contrast highlights the distinct communicative strategies in the approach they take toward leadership. This study also highlights the importance of images in the construction of political leadership narratives.
and pro-Russian narratives during the time of the military conflict
in Ukraine. Finally, the results of the study call for urgent and effective
solutions that can engage a wide audience as effectively as pro-Russian
agents (not only) in Slovakia.
weakened democracy due to the impact of populism and disinformation,
the Russian invasion of Ukraine poses a new challenge to the public sphere. The social, economic, and geopolitical ramifications of the conflict at a global level remain uncertain. However, public perception has been influenced by new forms of leadership and emotion-based communication. This research employs a content analysis methodology to examine the digital discourse of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the Telegram platform during the first year of the war. This messaging network promotes one-way communication, immediacy, and access to active follower communities. The results from analyzing his 2,089 posts demonstrate the predominance of strategies directed
towards the internationalisation of the conflict and mobilizing support of
Ukraine. Furthermore, the analysis of emotions reveals the presence of values such as gratitude, hope, and pride, aimed at constructing Zelensky’s image as a heroic figure in the digitised society of the 21st century.