Abstract

The main aspects of Twitter use by the Spanish main political parties (PP, PSOE, Ciudadanos and Podemos) during the electoral campaign, prior to the June 2016 elections, are determined. After doing a content analysis on all the tweets generated by the candidates (n = 2,207), we conclude that the majority of patterns detected in the use of Twitter by other countries’ politicians do not apply to the Spanish case: in Spain the opposition’s candidates are as much active as the president of the Government, and the candidates of the emerging formations are as much prolific as those from traditional parties, among other conclusions. Regarding previous elections, the results also show a change of strategy in the use of social networks by the new parties.

Abstract

Through a mixed method, the linear (live), social (social media) and audience participation (live-tweeting) offer during the special information program of March, 26th 2019 electoral night in La 1 of TVE and La sexta is analysed. We had the hypothesis that television consumption has changed with the competition of VoD-OTT platforms. The objective of this empirical work is to determine the multichannel information strategy carried out by the mentioned stations, and to know the response of the audience. Political events such as electoral processes keep the audience connected to traditional and social television, and generate high volumes of conversation.

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).