Polarization, distrust, and disinformation in the media coverage: Perceptions among public opinion in Spain

Abstract

The intensity of events in the socio-political and communicative context in the last decade has been marked by the growing importance of three phenomena: polarization, mistrust and disinformation. Their prominence in the social fabric, in the political arena and in media ecosystem has had an impact on the European project. It is in the interrelation of this context that the triple objective of this work arises, which focuses on: 1) Analyzing the degree of information of Spanish public opinion through media consumption and exposure to disinformation; 2) Studying the public's perception of the existing polarization in media coverage of politics; 3) Investigating the determining factors of pro-European sentiment among public opinion in Spain. Using a quantitative methodology, a representative study of public opinion in Spain with a sample of 1,000 people is presented. The results provide relevant data for understanding the Spanish communicative context, as there is a high level of distrust not only towards journalists but also towards the media itself, with eight out of ten respondents stating that the media in Spain distort reality and that media coverage of politics is polarized. In conclusion, there is a new shift in pro-European sentiment which, although it has not affected the percentage of support from the Spanish public, has left the Spanish media in a more negative position.