Alfonso Vara-Miguel

Purpose. This study analyzes whether there are generational differences in interest in the news, the informational use of major social networks, and the type of sources chosen by audiences in Mexico on each network analyzed (Facebook, YouTube, Twitter (X), TikTok, and Instagram). Methodology. Based on a representative survey (n = 1,998), mean comparison tests (ANOVA and Duncan post hoc) and non-parametric analyses (Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn-Bonferroni) were conducted. Results and conclusions. The data show significant differences in interest in the news across generations (lower among younger people) and in their informational use of Facebook and YouTube (also lower among younger groups). Likewise, the analysis of the type of sources chosen to stay informed on each social network varies significantly by age group: people over 65 consume more journalistic media and content from political actors on YouTube and Facebook, young people aged 18 to 24 more frequently turn to influencers and celebrities on Twitter, and the 25 to 34 age group prefers celebrities and ordinary people on Instagram. Original contribution. This pioneering study analyzes the informational use of social networks and the sources followed by different generations in Mexico. It demonstrates that age is a structuring factor of interest and news consumption habits on social media and shapes differentiated patterns of relationships with professional journalism and alternative sources of information.

Este estudio analiza los criterios de sostenibilidad de los medios nativos digitales para establecer una tipología específica de estándares de sostenibilidad mediática basada en tres dimensiones: modelo de negocio, confianza de la audiencia y responsabilidad social. Se utiliza la metodología Delphi para alcanzar un consenso fiable entre 16 expertos en comunicación de consultoras y de universidades españolas. Los resultados confirman el acuerdo entre los expertos en tres aspectos clave que articulan la sostenibilidad mediática: 1) impulsar iniciativas concretas, como reconectar con la audiencia a través de proyectos dirigidos a comunidades locales; 2) vincular la sostenibilidad financiera con la innovación y la diversificación, y 3) priorizar la responsabilidad social corporativa basada en la ética, la transparencia informativa, la protección de datos y la promoción de la diversidad.

El cambio del mercado de la escasez a la abundancia ha convertido las noticias en un bien difícilmente monetizable en un mercado altamente competitivo. La caída de los ingresos por publicidad y por suscripciones impresas ha obligado a las empresas informativas a diversificar sus ingresos, especialmente en modelos que fomentan el pago directo por noticias digitales, bien en forma de suscripciones o membresías. En el caso concreto del mercado español, las principales marcas periodísticas tratan de romper la mayoritaria resistencia al pago por noticias digitales mediante ofertas promocionales, que complementan con otras vías de ingresos como el marketing de afiliación o la publicidad nativa. Desde el punto de vista editorial, las empresas informativas consolidadas, con marcas fuertes y una oferta diferenciada, única y difícil de replicar, están teniendo más éxito en la monetización de sus contenidos.

Research on motivations for news consumption has primarily focused on uses and gratifications (U&G) from both conventional and new media. However, there is a gap regarding age perspectives in this field. This study aims to address this gap by examining whether differences and similarities exist in the motivations for news consumption among the citizens of 23 European countries. Analyzing data from 45,073 respondents, the study finds significant variations in motivation across age groups, particularly in informational, learning, entertaining, and social gratifications. Interestingly, there are no age-based differences in motivation driven by civic duties. Furthermore, the study shows that country differences do not significantly influence the relationship between age and motivation. The results add valuable insights into both academics and practitioners in the field of news of consumption and expand knowledge of the current literature.

This study aims to determine whether news consumption, media trust, interest in news, and political affinity are correlated with the generational segment of the market, measured by the age of the digital audience. Furthermore, this study seeks to verify whether age is associated with digital audiences’ paying attention to journalists or news brands. This research is based on a survey of 2,005 people in Mexico by YouGov in 2022, commissioned by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford as part of its annual Digital News Report. The statistical method used was the chi-square test of independence between qualitative variables. The results showed that age correlates with consumption habits, media trust, interest in news, and citizens’ political affinity for digital audiences in Mexico. Moreover, age relates to whether digital audiences focus on journalists or news brands in Latin America. This study delves into the characteristics of digital audiences in Mexico and contributes from a media economics, media management, and media marketing perspective. It also helps media organizations assess their market strategy, market segmentation, and target markets based on the characteristics of digital news audiences in Mexico.

Aunque la propagación de bulos y desinformaciones ha sido una constante histórica, la tecnología actual ha potenciado su alcance y efectos. Las investigaciones existentes se han centrado en el concepto de desinformación, el análisis de los factores tecnológicos y sociales que facilitan su proliferación y el estudio de sus efectos tanto a nivel social como individual. Este estudio propone futuras direcciones de investigación que aborden los desafíos emergentes en el campo de la desinformación, enfocándose en su continua adaptación y en las estrategias más efectivas para su mitigación en la era digital. Mediante el empleo de un método Delphi (N=16), la investigación revela cuatro dimensiones generales: entorno digital y redes sociales, que aborda la complejidad de la desinformación en plataformas y redes; calidad de la información y veracidad, centrado en la importancia de la integridad informativa y prácticas periodísticas éticas; competencia y atención de la audiencia, que examina el desafío de captar y mantener la atención del público en un entorno mediático saturado; polarización y discursos de odio, que resalta la necesidad de combatir las consecuencias sociales negativas de la desinformación.

This study analyzes e-commerce strategies in Spanish active digital news outlets comprehensively based on a 2021 census. Out of the 2,862 outlets, 11.8% (or 337) incorporated some form of e-commerce, with a higher prevalence observed among legacy media than among digital-native outlets. The study also revealed that e-commerce was more prevalent among outlets with national coverage and specialized subject matters. A detailed examination of 34 high-reach outlets, including 25 legacy and nine digital-native news outlets, found that both types employed on-site sales and affiliate marketing. However, legacy media exclusively engaged in promotional editorial collections, merchandise, tickets, and travel sales. The study highlights that while some outlets are diversifying revenue streams, most still rely primarily on traditional income sources such as advertising and subscriptions. This reliance poses a risk as these conventional streams are becoming less dependable. Furthermore, the increasing move towards market-oriented journalism raises concerns about a shift from the democratic role of news media to a more consumerist model.

The news industry faces challenges due to the global macro and microeconomic environment. The current digital situation leads to the study of the characteristics of the audience interested in news content products. The central aim of this research is to classify the main attribute interest in digital news content in Mexico of the audience’s market by the attributes of age group, education level, and income level. This research is based on a survey of 2,005 digital news consumers in Mexico, directed in 2022 by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford for the annual Digital News Report Study. The statistical method used is data mining with decision trees that classify the audience by the attribute of interest in the news as the dependent variable and attributes of age groups, education level, and income level as independent variables. These findings confirm the segmentation of digital news consumers’ audiences. The classification in which the attributes of age groups, level of education, and income level are considered simultaneously concerning audiences’ interests indicates that some of the predictions made show that some attributes may not be significant in some subsets, except for age group. The lowest average interest in the news is between 18 and 24 years, and the highest average interest in the news, which is nearly very interested, has audiences over 35 years.

Entrepreneurial journalism has emerged in the digital media ecosystem as a new form of journalism that focuses on audience demand rather than advertiser demand, and Spanish-language business media have been among the leading innovators in this sector. The founders of these digital natives are not large commercial entities but small teams, and they use inexpensive or free digital tools for production and distribution to break down the once-formidable barriers to entry represented by costly production and distribution infrastructure – the printing presses, delivery vehicles, broadcast antennae and radio frequencies employed by legacy media.