The construction of the perfect message in a digital environment: The case of Vinicius Junior and racism in Spain

Abstract

This research examines the characteristics of comments that achieve the greatest impact in a digital environment. A qualitative methodology is used to analyse the 50 most liked messages in the forum discussion prompted by a news article published on the Spanish sports newspaper.com. The article focuses on Real Madrid player Vinicius Junior's denunciation of racist incidents in Spanish football stadiums. This study considers the emotions expressed by the authors, as well as the rhetorical and argumentative strategies employed in the comments. The findings suggest that messages written with empathy, even when opposing the opinion of the majority, can have a significant impact if they present a dual argument that acknowledges opposing views as valuable in some respects, even without validating them. The analysis reveals that originality is rewarded, such as introducing an unexpected fact in an intelligent manner (e.g., irony) or expressing an opinion contrary to expectations based on group belonging (affiliation). In the latter case, the comment appears more authentic and, therefore, impactful. The study also demonstrates that the perception of messages is complex, and some elements traditionally considered effective may not always be so. For example, brief comments do not always carry weight and can come accross as inconsistent if they lack sufficient argumentation. Similarly, the diversity or accumulation of arguments is not universally positive; it is often more effective to present arguments separately to avoid distracting from the persuasive objective.