Comunicación política y redes socialesproducción de contenidos políticos sobre servicios sociales en Twitter

  1. Chaves-Montero, Alfonso
Supervised by:
  1. Octavio Vázquez Aguado Director
  2. Fernando Relinque Medina Director
  3. Manuela Angela Fernández Borrero Director

Defence university: Universidad de Huelva

Fecha de defensa: 20 December 2023

Type: Thesis

Abstract

Introduction: Nowadays, social media has become a significant part of the daily life of millions of people around the world. As a new communication model that significantly differs from traditional media such as radio, television, or print media, social media has become a platform for people to communicate, share information, and build online communities. On these digital platforms, real-time online discourse takes place in various fields such as politics, social services, sustainable education, ethics, and many other topics of general interest. Social media has transformed the way people interact with each other and with the world around them, creating new opportunities for collaboration and sharing of knowledge and experiences. In the field of social services, social media has allowed organizations and community groups to connect with the local population and provide support and resources to people in need. Additionally, social media has fostered solidarity and mutual support among people by allowing greater awareness of social issues. Overall, social media has had a significant impact on various fields such as politics, social services, sustainable education, and ethics, and has changed the way people communicate, interact, and relate to the world. They are likely to continue to be an important factor in modern society, providing new opportunities for citizen participation and public debate. Methodology and Objectives: The research presented in this thesis focuses on the study of political and social communication in digital media, particularly on the effectiveness of such communication and its reach to the public. The methodology used is mixed, combining quantitative and qualitative techniques to analyze three fundamental areas: the discrepancy between the messages conveyed and citizen concerns, the classification of messages into four categories, and the egocentric social network analysis of candidates (article 1). On the other hand, the content of Twitter messages related to Social Services was analyzed using a sample of 5,171 tweets between 2015 and 2020. In this case, a qualitative analysis and prior coding were used to identify the relationships and networks among the generated codes and to understand the perceptions of different actors on Twitter about Social Services. The main objective is to analyze the discourses and define the priority themes of the profiles that actively participate in the conversation on Twitter. In summary, both investigations address political and social communication in digital media, using mixed methodologies to understand the effectiveness and reach of such communication to the public (article 2 and 3). Discussion of Results: The findings indicate that Twitter users mainly use this platform to communicate informally, disseminate information, make complaints, and give positive evaluations to increase their visibility and impact. It is also observed that the use of Twitter varies according to users' political affiliation, and they point out the precariousness of Social Services, suggesting that a change in the management and financing model is necessary to guarantee benefits and satisfy basic social rights. Conclusions: The conclusion of the study is that quality traffic based on interaction and relevant messages increases participation rates on Twitter. During the pandemic, Twitter has become a key tool to analyze the public opinion perception about Social Services and to promote a necessary change in its financing and management model, with the aim of guaranteeing basic social benefits for the entire population. In summary, political communication through social media has proven to be fundamental in producing political content related to Social Services.