Disinformation during the DANA in Valencia (Spain): analysis of the structural and emotional composition of hoaxes

Abstract

This study examines the proliferation of disinformation in the context of extreme climate crises, focusing on the High-Altitude Isolated Depression (DANA) episode that occurred in Valencia (Spain) on October 29, 2024. Given the rapid circulation of misinformation that hindered institutional management and social responses, this study explores whether such content corresponds to structured and premeditated patterns. The methodology relies on a mixed-methods content analysis of a sample of 114 hoaxes debunked by the fact-checking platform Maldita.es. The analytical instrument evaluated strategic variables organized into three levels: identification of the disinformation action, technical architecture and narrative construction, and the narrative-emotional dimension. Results reveal a preference for textual and multimodal formats. Strikingly, citizens themselves served as the most common channels of dissemination, whereas emergency services and authorities were positioned as the primary targets of these attacks. Technically, the study identifies the predominant use of alternative facts and paltering, frequently instrumentalized through conspiracy theories and the strategic use of hashtags to maximize their reach. Findings suggest that disinformation during the DANA was not a purely organic phenomenon, but rather followed patterns consistent with coordinated dissemination, leveraging fear, polarization, and hate as vectors of virality to erode public trust. The study demonstrates how the deliberate manipulation of public perception operates as a tool for social destabilization in contexts of vulnerability. Although methodological limitations preclude tracing the technical origins of an organized network, the high recurrence of these tactics substantiates a dynamic of deliberate manipulation and coordinated dissemination driven by the tactical use of emotional narratives.