Abstract

An analysis of the impact of Covid-19 on the use of Spanish university libraries during 2020 versus 2019 is carried out in this paper. The results have been published in a web tool that allows for deeper analysis of the individual libraries as well as the libraries as a whole. This study is not an evaluation of the libraries themselves but consists of measuring, describing, and quantifying the negative impact that the health crisis had on them during 2020. Visits, loans, user training, and catalog visits are variables that were strongly affected, with a significant positive increase being identified only in visits to library web pages. The use of digital resources according to Counter-compiled data increased considerably in some private university libraries, where possible staff cuts were also identified. The paper concludes by outlining reflections that can be further studied with the experiences of people related to libraries and with additional research, including data for the following years after collection and publication

Abstract

This paper analyses the news on Covid-19 and 2019-nCov in the Spanish media. This is done by using news retrieved from My news database. The analysis includes the total amount of news in Spanish media by type of media; the evolution of the publication in digital media considering various periods of time, and the volume of news in the most used Spanish digital media. The results show that digital media are the most used among other types to publish on the topic, with a significant increase since the beginning of the alarm state. In this sense, some arguments on the function and utility of this type of media during the confinement are exposed. Also, the essential role of digital media covering the population’s information needs is discussed. The digital media with the largest number publications are abc.es, 20minutos.es, and elconfidencial.com. The value of this work is that it can serve as starting point for others in order to carry out content analysis on the subject considering different channels and digital media.

Abstract

The global health crisis arising from the expansion of Covid-19 has led the WHO to coin the term infodemics to define a situation of fear and insecurity in which the dissemination of false information has become widespread. These hoaxes take advantage of this type of emotion to spread faster than the coronavirus itself, generating fear and distrust in the population. The spread of these lies, part of which circulates on social networks, is dangerous because it affects health and can make the contagion worse and cause people to die. This research aims to analyse and visualise the network created around the false news circulating on Twitter about the coronavirus pandemic using the technique of social network analysis. NodeXL Pro software has been used. Several measures of network centrality have been used to generate the network of connections between users, to represent their interaction patterns and to identify the key actors within the network. In addition, a semantic network has also been created to discover the differences in the way groups of people talk about the topic. The results show that the situation in the USA dominates the conversation, despite the fact that at that time there were hardly any cases, and Europe had become the global epicentre of the Covid-19. Despite reports of inaction by journalists and critics of the Trump government, there are several weeks in which disinformation distracts from taking more effective action and actually preventing contagion. Moreover, among the actors with the most prominent positions in the network, there is little presence of scientists and institutions that help to disprove the hoaxes and explain the hygiene measures. 

Abstract

Coronavirus crisis has caused a complicated situation at a sanitary, economic and social levels, that requires of a fundamental work in communication area so that the society comprise and collaborate with the adopted measures. Through the review and synthesis of the scientific and reference literature, the present paper contrasts lessons learnt in previous public health crisis against the communication implemented from the institutional voices and from the press coverage during the first stages of the Covid-19 outbreak in Spain. This paper detects that the absence of an early announcement (or overtaking of the negative stage) and the control messages in a context of uncertainty caused a brusque transition to the following stage of the crisis, coincident with an explosion of the number of contagions, what generated fear. The spokesperson formula applied is against all recommendations of crisis communication. Regarding the journalistic coverage, examples of alarmism and sensationalism news arised. The numeric data have been the resource more valuable and the computer graphics the multimedia content more developed. Since the pandemic is still on course, it is recommended the learning and the adjustment of the communication and information to the citizens in the following stages of this crisis or in future crisis taking into account the group of first lessons presented here.

Abstract

Radio is the medium best adapted to crises. This has been demonstrated throughout the history of Spain, both in the 1981 coup d’état attempt and in the terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004. The question that arises then is if in the situation of lockdown suffered by the Spanish population due to the Covid-19 pandemic radio is also playing an important role. This study answers this question through a survey answered by 560 radio listeners during the lockdown. The research has focused on knowing the listening habits, radio consumption, and the perception that these listeners have of the medium in this crisis. The data indicate that the respondents have changed their listening habits and have increased their medium consumption. During the lockdown, they are listening to the radio mostly in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen while cleaning or cooking. They are also consuming more hours of radio, more stations (of different ideological positions), and more shows. For these listeners, radio is positioned as the medium that is best covering information about the coronavirus and the one that they consider most credible, the closest, that most stimulates the imagination, that reduces loneliness, and is the most distracting. Overall, the results of this study allow us to conclude that the radio is once again playing a leading role in the coronavirus crisis, as it has occurred throughout the history of Spain.

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has confined millions of citizens in their homes. The situation of isolation has many consequences at multiple levels: social, psychological, economic, educational..., and also communicative. Based on a survey to 1,122 people during the most severe confinement phase, this article aims to analyze how information consumption has been modified during this period of time, and how citizens assess media coverage of Covid-19. The results show citizenship get more news and more frequently than before the health crisis. All in all, citizens maintain a critical attitude towards media coverage of the outbreak, which is, according to the results, conditioned by the media ideology, and reported in a sensationalist way, generating unnecessary social alarm. 

Abstract

This article analyzes the role of the Spanish Army and Security Forces as actors and as a discursive resource in the Spanish Government’s communication during the Covid-19 crisis and covers two complementary questions. On one hand, the presence of the military, police and civil guards in the media and in the daily press conferences of the Spanish Government’s Coronavirus Crisis Committee and, on the other, tweets by the main political protagonists of the crisis in Spain: the leaders of the five largest national parties (PSOE, PP, Vox, Unidas Podemos and Ciudadanos) and the presidents of four autonomous communities (Catalonia, Madrid, the Valencian Community and the Basque Country) who also played a particularly important role in managing the crisis. The timeframe covered is from March 15 (start of the state of emergency) to April 25 (final day in which the military and security forces participated in the daily press conferences of the Coronavirus Crisis Committee). The methodology applied involves a qualitative analysis of the appearances by military and security forces in the media and in the press conferences of the aforementioned Committee, which allows us to outline a complex narrative of the events. A content analysis of the Twitter accounts is also performed to show the presence of these groups and the warlike language in their messages. The objectives are to balance the Government’s communication strategy in relation to the presence of the military, the Civil Guard and the National Police: internally (at press conferences) and externally (in the media and, in particular, in speeches by political leaders).

Abstract

Radio is the medium best adapted to crises. This has been demonstrated throughout the history of Spain, both in the 1981 coup d’état attempt and in the terrorist attacks of March 11, 2004. The question that arises then is if in the situation of lockdown suffered by the Spanish population due to the Covid-19 pandemic radio is also playing an important role. This study answers this question through a survey answered by 560 radio listeners during the lockdown. The research has focused on knowing the listening habits, radio consumption, and the perception that these listeners have of the medium in this crisis. The data indicate that the respondents have changed their listening habits and have increased their medium consumption. During the lockdown, they are listening to the radio mostly in the living room, bedroom, and kitchen while cleaning or cooking. They are also consuming more hours of radio, more stations (of different ideological positions), and more shows. For these listeners, radio is positioned as the medium that is best covering information about the coronavirus and the one that they consider most credible, the closest, that most stimulates the imagination, that reduces loneliness, and is the most distracting. Overall, the results of this study allow us to conclude that the radio is once again playing a leading role in the coronavirus crisis, as it has occurred throughout the history of Spain.