Austral Comunicación

Fundamentals of socio-technical mediatization

Gonzalo Andrés — 2025-06-10

he purpose of this paper is to dispense with the anthropocentrism of the analysis of technological and symbolic production and appropriation by proposing the notion of ‘socio-technical mediatization’ which includes the performative capacity of technologies. To this end, the theoretical guidelines of the semio-anthropological perspective of mediatization are recovered, although it postulates the relevance of incorporating a socio-technical and symmetrical approach that does not over-determine human actions over the qualities of communication technologies. To this end, it draws on studies of technology and archaeological findings that postulate that technological innovation and use were the driving force behind the evolution of the human species.

News and COVID-19 Vaccines in Argentina

Erick Cruz-Mendoza — 2025-09-04

The analysis of media coverage presents itself as a central element for understanding the development of the Covid-19 pandemic, as it provides key insights into its dynamics and management. In this context, media agendas have been shaped by emerging knowledge about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the measures implemented by governments, the positions of international health institutions, and technoscientific advancements aimed at controlling the virus’s spread and reducing mortality. From the outset, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified vaccines as a central component of strategies to overcome the crisis. This raises questions such as: What were the predominant themes in media coverage of Covid-19 vaccines? Did the topics and framings change as the pandemic progressed? And what model of science communication prevailed over time? This study analyzes news content from the Argentine newspapers Clarín and La Nación published between January 30, 2020, and December 24, 2021. It applies the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling technique and, following a comparative content analysis, identifies a six-topic model: the description of the pandemic at the national level, the international context of the pandemic, coverage of cases in minors, the pandemic’s progression in the provinces, vaccination and vaccines, and the consequences of vaccination. The results help identify the predominant topics from the onset of the pandemic through the arrival of vaccines, revealing a communication approach grounded in medical and educational models, centered on the dissemination of expert-driven information intended to guide public behavior.

Exploring the path of Latin American female gamers

Raúl Alejandro Treviño González — 2025-09-09

This research examines the profile of the Latin American female gamer, focusing on their entry into the world of video games and exploring the motivations, sensations, and experiences that influence their participation and appreciation of this medium. Using a quantitative methodological approach, a survey of 48 questions was conducted between April and May 2024 across the 20 countries of the region, yielding 220 responses. The results show that, for many participants, video games are not a fleeting pastime, but an activity rooted in childhood that endures over time. Additionally, there is a notable male influence in introducing the hobby to those who started in their childhood, while those who started in adulthood did so on their own initiative. The reasons for playing range from entertainment to cognitive challenge and escapism, highlighting the versatility of video games in meeting psychological and leisure needs. Furthermore, the therapeutic role of video games in stress management and as a form of personal and aesthetic expression is emphasized. It is concluded that female gamers have found in video games a continuous source of mental stimulation, relaxation, and aesthetic enjoyment, integrating them as a fundamental part of their daily lives and a significant means of social and emotional connection.

Influencers on Instagram

Tatiana Betzabé León-Alberca — 2025-09-23

Influencer marketing and communication are experiencing rapid growth, driving the expansion of research aimed at understanding how they work. The profiles of so-called influencers are highly diverse, and their impact varies depending on the context in which they operate. In this regard, platforms such as Instagram have consolidated their position as ideal spaces for brands to integrate these profiles into their communication strategies. To address the dynamics explained above, this study focuses on examining how researchers approach the study of this field, using a systematic review of the scientific literature as its methodology. Recurring keywords, research approaches, designs, and instruments used to achieve a variety of objectives related to understanding the phenomenon are analyzed. In addition, the subject matter of these publications is investigated. The results show that, far from declining, research in this field has experienced steady growth over the years, raising various concerns within the scientific literature related to the need to address aspects such as transparency in influencers' publications, the authenticity of their content, the effectiveness of the communication strategies implemented, and the real impact on the audience in a more comprehensive and detailed manner.

Crónica, a newspaper for the men of the “people”

Carlos Sebastián Ciccone — 2025-09-25

Although the presidency of Arturo Illia was marked by the proscription of Peronism, the period saw advances in freedom of expression and the representativeness and growth of publishing and cultural enterprises, a context in which the Buenos Aires daily Crónica emerged. Aimed at the popular sectors and featuring a sensationalist approach characterised by the prioritisation of sports and crime news, this outlet was part of the broader process of sociocultural revision that the 1960s underwent. Indeed, under the global context of the so-called "sexual revolution," Argentina witnessed the gradual questioning of major pillars of social organisation, such as the indissolubility of marriage and gender-based role divisions; thus, the traditional model of masculinity -a virile, strong man, head of the household, and a professional-.

Understanding the media as political actors that construct social representations and propose ways of interpreting the world through ideas about what is and is not acceptable regarding gender, this article proposes to analyze Crónica within this process of revision of the family model. Based on a qualitative study, it will examine the representations of masculinities that Crónica constructed during its early years within the sports, police, entertainment, and women's sections.

The documentary corpus includes the issues of Crónica published between 29 July 1963, the date of its foundation, and 28 July 1966, when the Illia government was overthrown and a dictatorial government took office, characterized by censorship, persecution, and the defense of the traditional values of Western Christian civilization.

Advertising upon request

Jorge Montalvo Castro — 2025-09-26

Many campaigns and digital media use the consumer's personal data without their prior consent. In this research, a new advertising communication model that represents a paradigm shift is analyzed and evaluated. In the new model, each individual consumer will publish -anonymously- the characteristics of the product they want, and companies in the sector will respond with hyper personalized ads. Advertisers will transparently compete, in two successive rounds, so that the consumer will make an informed decision and will contact the chosen company. The platform will have free access, with a non-profit approach. The aim is for local entrepreneurs and small businesses to become the main advertisers. The objective of the study was to evaluate the level of acceptance that the model would have in the Lima furniture market. The methodology had a quantitative approach with an exploratory scope and the sample was made up of 192 adults from medium and high socioeconomic level in the city of Lima. Additionally, as a complement, 18 local entrepreneurs were included to learn their point of view as potential advertisers. A virtual survey was applied and the results indicate that the perception of usefulness is high, as well as the intention to use, both on the consumers and entrepreneurs’ side. The main benefits associated to the platform were: facilitating the search for personalized products, encouraging competition among advertisers in favor of the consumer and avoiding unwanted advertising. Suggestions for improvement were also collected for future implementation.

Challenges of media literacy in the face of misinformation and fake news

Patricia de Casas Moreno — 2025-07-18

Este monográfico reúne una serie de investigaciones que abordan los desafíos actuales de la desinformación y la alfabetización mediática desde diversas perspectivas y contextos. En primer lugar, las autoras María José Hernández Serrano, Marta Martín del Pozo y Noelia Morales Romo en el artículo “Serious Game para la autorreflexión y el pensamiento crítico ante la desinformación”, nos presentan el uso de videojuegos educativos como herramientas eficaces para el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico en el ámbito docente, destacando su potencial en la formación frente a la desinformación.

Por su parte, los autores Marco López-Paredes y Andrea Carrillo-Andrade con el título “Desinformación y mal información en Ecuador: Ultramediaciones en contextos de analfabetismo digital”, examinan el contexto ecuatoriano, subrayando la importancia de la alfabetización digital y la necesidad de comprender las dinámicas de la información en la era de las ultramediaciones.

Finalmente, Sergio Walter Salguero presenta en la sección Informes de cátedra su trabajo “Periferia asediada. Reflexión sobre una práctica docente educomunicativa”, una presentación que muestra una experiencia innovadora en Córdoba, Argentina, que utiliza el storytelling y la gamificación para promover la alfabetización digital y la reflexión crítica en la formación docente universitaria, destacando la importancia de enfoques educomunicativos reflexivos que fomenten una ciudadanía digital activa.

Using serious game for practicing self-reflection and critical thinking to combat disinformation

Maria Jose Hernández-Serrano — 2025-07-18

Disinformation, defined as a widespread phenomenon involving the manipulation and dissemination of false information, is a global challenge, which is evolving alarmingly within our society. The rapid consumption of information and disinformation highlights the urgent need to train skills in reflection and critical thinking. Serious games are presented as effective educational resources for the training of these abilities, alongside other media and information literacy skills. This study focuses on the design and implementation of a serious game with nine scenarios inspired by cases of disinformation, simulating classroom environments. It examines the perceptions of a sample of Spanish teachers (n=133) regarding the use of this serious game and explores differences based on socio-demographic variables (gender, age, teaching experience, and familiarity with educational video games). The results show that teachers positively assessed the video game as a learning resource. The majority of participants perceived that it had helped them to develop critical thinking and assess their learning. Gender-based differences were observed, with female teachers rating the game’s utility for solving practical problems more highly than male participants. However, no significant differences were found based on age, educational level or familiarity with educational video games. We conclude with the need to use this type of educational resource to improve teachers’ literacy in addressing the new competences required to deal with misinformation. The serious game analyzed demonstrated strong applicability for being used across several educational levels, formal and non-formal.

Disinformation and misinformation in Ecuador

Marco López-Paredes — 2025-07-18

This study expands on the initial findings presented at the 2024 Alfamed Conference under the theme Social Networks and Citizenship, where the paper Disinformation and Misinformation in a Context of Ultramediations was introduced. It explores the relationship between disinformation and ultramediations within the contemporary Ecuadorian social context, with particular emphasis on the implications of digital illiteracy.

The theoretical framework draws on key concepts such as media ecology, social mediations, and hypermediations, applying them specifically to the Ecuadorian case. The analysis highlights the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in widening the digital divide while proposing digital literacy as a crucial tool to counteract both disinformation and hate speech.

The methodology integrates both qualitative and quantitative approaches: a literature review aimed at strengthening and expanding the theory of ultramediations, and an analysis of data from Ecuador’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) covering the period from 2019 to 2022, with a focus on pandemic-related developments.

Among the key findings, the study reveals a paradox: although internet access has increased, its use as a source of information has declined. This underscores the importance of understanding how users interact with and appropriate digital environments within a networked information flow model. The study argues that the theory of ultramediations offers essential conceptual tools for analyzing these interconnected dynamics.

Finally, the research emphasizes the urgent need to design educational strategies that promote digital literacy in Ecuador, as a vital step toward critically and effectively confronting the challenges posed by disinformation in today’s media ecosystem.

The invisible persistence of the audionaute´s figure in Las cuatro revoluciones invisibles by José Luis Fernández

Santiago Videla — 2025-07-03

The study of sound mediatization has generally been a fairly niche area of research. Argentine researcher José Luis Fernández offers a perspective that frames it as a phenomenon with far-reaching structural consequences. The book explores the reconstruction of the "audionaut" figure as a central thread across four revolutions over the past century and a half. This perspective allows him to show how certain social practices that emerged around radio and phonographic consumption laid the groundwork for how internet users engage with media today.

Periferia asediada

Sergio Walter Salguero — 2025-07-18

This report reflects on an innovative educommunicative practice that combines storytelling and gamification in university teacher training. It explores the use of ICT alongside narrative strategies to motivate teacher education students to integrate digital resources into their teaching practices, promoting both digital literacy and critical reflection on their use.

The project, developed in Córdoba, Argentina, presents a cyberpunk-themed narrative inspired by the comic El Eternauta. It consists of ten chapters with multimedia storytelling, incorporating challenges related to the use of ICT tools and a point system to encourage participation. Platforms such as Genially and WordPress were used, providing an immersive and collaborative experience that fosters meaningful learning.

This report situates the experience within the field of educommunication, warning against technicist approaches that prioritize the instrumental use of ICT. Instead, it advocates for a reflective perspective that emphasizes the development of learning autonomy and knowledge construction.

Framed within the concept of convergence culture, the implemented project highlights the importance of designing pedagogical proposals that integrate media and platforms to foster active digital citizenship.