Abstract
This chapter analyzes how pseudo-media allegedly present themselves as information providers, by adopting visual traits and imitating the six journalistic role performance dimensions identified in conventional media. The results of a qualitative and quantitative analysis show that the most mimicked is the watchdog role. However, pseudo-media distort the essence of it by focusing their critical task in disrupting progressive policies, while offering the loyal-facilitator role to far-right representatives. This trend is also observed in the civic role performance, aimed at giving a voice to anti-abortion groups, or opposed to measures against COVID-19 and, to a lesser degree, imitating the service role to promote their activities. Although polarization and clickbait reinforce all roles, they are particularly notable in intervention and infotainment. This latter one, the second most imitated, particularly exacerbates sensationalism and violence.
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Notes
- 1.
This type of code refers to pseudo-media identity: title initials or the two initial letters when a single name, day, month, year of publishing.
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Funding
This article is part of the R&D project News puzzlement: Precarizazed quality, over-(dis)information and polarization (Puzzleflows) (reference CIAICO/2021/125), funded by the Generalitat Valenciana (2022–2024).
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Palau-Sampio, D. (2023). Muddying the Media Ecosystem: Roles and Performance of the Pseudo-Media. In: Negreira-Rey, MC., Vázquez-Herrero, J., Sixto-García, J., López-García, X. (eds) Blurring Boundaries of Journalism in Digital Media. Studies in Big Data, vol 140. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43926-1_8
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