News, Networks and Users in the Hybrid Media system: 2nd Seminar Report

Abstract

During the last few months, the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated issues have monopolized the debate on the media and social networks. Thus, the news actors in the hybrid media system have incorporated the fight against the infodemic and disinformation as another priority in a society that has demanded constant and reliable information in multiple formats and media. But in this environment in which borders are increasingly blurred, the need for citizens to receive up-to-date and truthful information on issues of high social impact is superimposed on the dynamics of social media, which can contribute to feeding back discourses that promote polarization. The information saturation typical of an information ecosystem in which information actors and sources multiply has, therefore, as a paradoxical reverse, the increased risk of misinformation. In this context, this report includes the main contributions made by the researchers of the project News, networks and users in the Hybrid Media System (RTI2018-095775-B-C41/42/44) in the 2nd Newsnet Seminar, which was held in Bilbao on November 16, 2021.