Abstract

Mobile devices (phones and tablets) have become the main means of access to the internet in Spain. This has caused a change in the way the public is informed and interacts with information content. This research examines how this change impacts internet users’ habits in relation to the consumption of political information. The aims of this study are to determine how users consume political news on mobile devices and to better understand their information behavior.

Abstract

Overcoming the newspaper industry crisis and addressing the urgent need to rethink business models to achieve a greater openness to users and the environment will require turning future generations of journalists into entrepreneurs. To meet this goal, training is important but, according to the scientific literature, its effects on increasing entrepreneurial intentions are not entirely convincing. This study presents a university programme with the aim to ensure this increased interest. The results support the validity of this type of training to generate entrepreneurial intentions and support a high level of increased entrepreneurship in future journalists.

Abstract

The prevalence of the pressure to publish and its effects on the professional career of researchers in Communication sciences in Spain is explored. The data collected through an online survey of 290 scholars from public and private universities shows how the pressure to publish in scientific journals affects almost all respondents. Also, the main causes of this pressure come from the evaluation systems and the researchers themselves. The fundamental motivations for publishing are to increase the professional reputation and leave a mark in the field of expertise, while the most prominent effects of the pressure to publish are stress, emotional fatigue, and frustration over publication failures. Regarding the perceived conflict between teaching and research, the study warns of a scenario in which research excellence may be at the expense of, or be disconnected from, teaching excellence. The prevalence and effects of each of these dimensions is explored according to the age, gender, academic range, researches’ years of professional experience, and the nature (public or private) of the university.

Abstract

A descriptive analysis of marketing techniques used by Spanish and foreign franchise companies operating in Spain has been carried out. The aim was to describe and analyse the relevance of the communication resources used by these companies when providing information to their three main targeted groups: existing units (franchisees), investors who are ready to open new units (possible franchisees), and final customers of the company. The results show high use of the communication resources and, from the viewpoint of the new strategic communication theory, the conclusion suggests that these resources should be interrelated.

Abstract

Based on a quantitative approach, this paper presents some of the preliminary results of a research project focused on the analysis of the motivations that encourage citizens to actively participate in online news media, using the mechanisms provided by their websites, and through open social network platforms. The findings show that, although there is a widespread discourse of distrust in connection to journalists and the traditional media institutions, as well as general criticism of the actual practices of journalists, the common understanding of the participatory dimension of the media does not entail discourses of change or modification of the existing hegemony. Instead of turning to alternative sources, such as citizen journalism or non-traditional media, or taking the lead by creating their own content, citizens prefer to continue to respect journalism as a profession and the traditional media institutions as the main producers of news as well as the most trusted sources of information. Furthermore, although in previous studies audience participation “in” the media has been highlighted, the findings of this research show that the practice of user recommendation or dissemination of media content through social networks has been adopted by a large number of citizens

Abstract

The perceptions of journalists who work in traditional media with an online version and journalists working in online native media about the advantages and disadvantages of digital journalism in realtion to conventional one are compared. Citizen participation in the informative processes is analyzed, as well as some ethical and deontological journalism principles.