An analysis of the audiovisual journalistic approach of a digital community media outlet: El Salto TV (2017–2023)

Abstract

This study aims to describe the evolution of the audiovisual journalistic approach of El Salto TV over the past seven years (2017–2023) and to determine whether it continues to uphold its core identity as a community media outlet. A content analysis was conducted on the entire corpus of informational videos published on its website, YouTube, and Facebook (n=1081), complemented by a semi-structured interview with the editor of the section. The analysis considered variables such as journalistic genre, thematic focus, geographic coverage, news treatment, framing, audiovisual narrative, sources, original content production, duration, and publication frequency. Findings indicate that, although El Salto TV has increased its presence on social media in recent years─part of a broader strategy to engage younger audiences─it is engaged in an internal debate regarding the use of these platforms and the narrative demands they impose. The aim is to strike a balance between digital tools, new audiovisual storytelling forms, and the outlet’s editorial line and areas of interest. The study concludes that El Salto TV has preserved its distinctive identity as a community-oriented media initiative. It continues to prioritize citizen sources and third-sector organizations, relies heavily on self-produced content and imagery, fosters collaborative work through networks of national and international contributors, and maintains economic and editorial independence. Moreover, it upholds a socially engaged editorial agenda and practices a form of situated journalism that explicitly supports social movements.