A quantitative approach to headlines after the Arab Spring

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n33a850

Keywords:

Mass media, Arab Spring, press, headlines, LDA

Abstract

The implications and consequences of the Arab Spring did not go unnoticed by the media around the world. Firstly, because the riots were one of the most unexpected events of the last decade. And secondly, because the media, especially social media, could play a key role in the protests. More than nine years later, there are few elements to speak of success in terms of the democratization of the countries that experienced these popular mobilizations. Faced with this reality, the question of what has remained of the Arab Spring in the Spanish media is highlighted. The current research explores the main topics covered by the Spanish press during the post-Arab Spring period (2012-2020). The Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm was used to do this. The results show that the Spanish press has focused its attention, especially, on conflicting elements in the countries that experienced revolts. In addition, there was an informative over-dimensioning of the realities of culturally close Arab countries. The objective is not only to make a theoretical approach on the object of study but to reinforce the usefulness of this technique in its own works of political communication.

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Author Biographies

  • José Manuel Moreno Mercado, University of Granada, Spain

    PhD Candidate in the Department of Political Science and Administration of the University of Granada. Bachelor Degree in Political Science and Administration and Master in Culture of Peace, Conflicts Education and Human Rights from the same university and the Institute of Peace and Conflicts (IPAZ). He has been a visiting researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon.

  • Javier García Marín, University of Granada, Spain

    Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Administration of the University of Granada. PhD in Political Science, Bachelor Degree in Contemporary History and Master in Economics and International Relations. He has been a visiting professor at several foreign universities, such as the London School of Economics and Political Science, the University of Glasgow or the University of Buenos Aires, among others.

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Published

01-12-2021

Issue

Section

Monographs

How to Cite

Moreno Mercado, J. M., & García Marín, J. (2021). A quantitative approach to headlines after the Arab Spring. Doxa Comunicación. Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication Studies and Social Sciences, 33, 347-362. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n33a850
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