Historia y Comunicación Social (ISSN 1137-0734, ISSN-e 1988-3056) is a scientific journal which publishes research focused on contemporary communication and history, from a diachronic perspective. Founded in 1996, the journal is currently published biannually in electronic format. It includes articles about contemporary history, the history of ideas, the history of social communication, journalism and most importantly the history of the media. Articles submitted for publication are sent for peer review in order to maintain the highest standards.
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Critique in video game journalism from a gender perspective: differences in professional practice between women and men in Spain (1997-2022)
This paper describes the differences between women and men in the exercise of cultural criticism within video game journalism. We analyzed reviews published in six Spanish magazines —Meristation, Vandal, Hobby Consolas, IGN, Nintenderos and AreaJugones— from the origins of the specialized digital press, in 1997, to 2022 (n=23,230). The results show how, despite the gender prejudices associated with women —and the historical discrimination entailed— the differences between groups are practically null: the average score coincides regardless of media outlets, dates, age classification or predominant genres. The main difference is found in video games with sexual content, where women are more critical.
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Media representation of women in Ecuador's indigenous uprisings: comparative analysis of 1990 and 2019
This research analyzes the representation of indigenous women in the uprisings of 1990 and 2019 in Ecuador. Communication and Anthropology are articulated to expose the reduced female presence in the media narrative, dominated by heteropatriarchal and colonial perspectives. The media influence the construction of representations and, by relegating women to secondary roles, they deny their political capacity and reproduce their exclusion. Thirty-two journalistic texts (out of a total of 184) are examined through a CAQDAS analysis. The results show the need to rethink the relationship between gender, media and social movements with an urgent change in news coverage that gives greater visibility to indigenous women as agents of change.
Virtual assistants as a means of communication with older people suffering from loneliness
The results obtained from the evaluation of the experience developed with virtual assistants as a support tool in the communication of a group of social workers responsible for a program to reduce loneliness in people over 65 years of age are presented. The purpose of this work has been to deepen the analysis of innovative communication strategies with integration of technology in social interventions. The evaluation of their impact contributes significantly to the growth of their effectiveness. The results of the study suggest that the integration of technology, in this case, "Alexa", is seen as a valuable and transformative strategy to improve communication and address loneliness in older people.
Massified Pedagogies of Cruelty: The caso of the Bahía Portete – Colombia
The article examines the journalistic treatment of the Bahía Portete Massacre (2004–2024), one of the most atrocious episodes of violence against the Wayuu Indigenous people and their women leaders, from an intersectional and critical discourse analysis perspective. Through a mixed-methods approach, and combining situational mapping, content analysis, and documentary review, the study reveals how Colombian media have reproduced pedagogies of cruelty (Segato, 2018), obscuring the ethnic, gender, and political dimensions of the crime. The research advocates for a critical, sensitive, and reparative journalism that contributes to dismantling the power discourses sustaining gender-based violence in contexts of armed.
Perpetuating sex gaze in the digital era: A study of the female figure in AIGC images in Chinese social media
Nowadays, Artificial Intelligence Generated content (AIGC) technology expands the channels of image generation, offering new avenues for content creation on social media platforms. However, deeper ethical reflection is needed to analyze whether the application of AIGC means taking a step forward or a step back. Compared with other similar social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube, Weibo is very active in using this technology, and this article uses the Chinese platform Weibo as a case study to analyze the gender-conscious issues reflected in AIGC images. The transformation of image information into visual representations documents the brand status of women in AIGC images, along with the evolution of these images regardless of the creators’ original intentions. The findings reveal that AIGC images on social media platforms such as Weibo prominently perpetuate stereotypes of women, a phenomenon that has not diminished with technological advancements, but has instead further marginalized women. The study concludes that ethical concerns around AIGC image content need to be addressed beyond AI platforms, advocating for the establishment of a governance community that incorporates diverse stakeholder interventions, thereby laying the groundwork for a more fair and equitable AI landscape.
A campaign without discourse: Content analysis of the main 2023 general election candidates' posts on social networks
Political communication in social networks plays an essential role in electoral campaigns; however, their use and management have evolved since they began to be used in 2008. Currently, given the increase in the consumption of social networks by the population, these platforms have become a key instrument to reach the citizen, conveying ideas, political programs or the ideology of the candidate or party. Still, are social networks used with that intention? This work is based on the following hypothesis: political communication on social networks is exempt from discourse, and therefore, the candidates for the general election of 23J, the object of study of this work, do not share substantial content on social networks, but they seek to convey an image instead. To verify this, this study carries out a content analysis of the main publications made by Pedro Sánchez (PSOE); Alberto Núñez Feijoó (PP); Yolanda Díaz (Sumar); y Santiago Abascal (Vox) on Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram. Among the main conclusions, it should be noted that the discourse has been replaced by more superficial messages, and TikTok is emerging as a key player in electoral political communication.
Salvador de Madariaga, correspondent for El Sol (1918-1919): post-war chronicles from London
The aim of this paper is to highlight the work of Salvador de Madariaga as a correspondent in London for the newspaper El Sol between November 1918 and October 1919, a little-studied aspect of this intellectual's career. In his reports, Madariaga not only attested to the political, social and economic situation at an important moment in the history of the United Kingdom, but also advanced some of the ideas that would appear in his later work. Furthermore, these reports are yet another example of Madariaga's role as a cultural mediator between Spain and Europe, as well as the importance that El Sol attached to foreign news in its pages.
The ambivalent use of technology as it relates to digital well-being: an exploration of gratifications and adverse effects among Spanish users
This study analyzes the relationship between intensive technology use and digital well-being among the adult population in Spain. Based on a survey of 1,107 participants, it examines uses, gratifications, and tensions across personal, professional, and social domains. Grounded in the Uses and Gratifications Theory, it identifies benefits related to functionality and connectivity, along with adverse effects such as information fatigue or disconnection from the real world. No direct relationship is observed between time of use and well-being, highlighting the importance of conscious digital engagement and promoting Digital Wellbeing Literacy as a key competence for balanced and healthy technology use.
History of methodologies for the analysis of resistance strategies and counter-narratives against the ‘manosphere’. A commitment to Action-Research
This article analyses, from a feminist and critical perspective, the main methodologies used in studying the manosphere and the resistances that have emerged against it. Approaches such as Critical Discourse Analysis, Digital Ethnography and Feminist Netnography, Social Network Analysis (SNA), Data Mining, and Natural Language Processing (NLP) are examined, assessing their advantages and limitations in researching hate speech and counter-strategies. Additionally, action research is proposed as the most suitable methodological model to evaluate the effectiveness of feminist counter-narratives. It allows for the integration of theoretical analysis and concrete action, collaborating directly with activists and feminist communities in designing resistance strategies. The conclusions highlight the importance of adopting methodological approaches that not only describe the expansion of the manosphere but also contribute to strengthening feminist resistance. The need to integrate participatory methodologies that acknowledge situated knowledge and avoid reproducing power hierarchies in research is emphasised. Furthermore, there is an urgent need to develop interdisciplinary tools that enable understanding and countering digital misogyny from a critical and transformative perspective.
Comparative analysis of media coverage and political discourse on social media regarding the natural disaster “Dana-29-O”
This study analyzes and compares the dominant frames of news stories and social media posts published during the two weeks following the natural disaster "Dana 29-O," which occurred in Valencia on October 29, 2024. A corpus of 1,597 items is examined. Regarding the media, the frames presented in the headlines of 1,203 pieces belonging to two national media outlets (El Mundo and El País) and two regional media outlets (Las Provincias and Valencia Plaza) are analyzed. Regarding social media, the frames identified in 400 publications are examined. Specifically, the posts of three national political parties (PSOE, PP, and Vox), the respective accounts of their regional federations (PSPV-PSOE, PPCV, and Vox Comunidad Valenciana), as well as the account of the political party Compromís, which operates solely in the Valencian Community, the site of the disaster, were analyzed. The methodology applied was based on a qualitative analysis following the collection of pieces through the digital tools MyNews and Factiva. The research examined the presence and absence of frames related to human interest, economic consequences, attribution of responsibility, conflict, and morality. The findings indicate a general primacy of human interest, as both the media and social media focus on the victims. However, the evolution of frames indicates a significant increase in attribution of responsibility. This data reflects a shift in focus from those affected to those perceived as responsible for the management of the event, thus shifting attention from human suffering to a critical analysis of political and institutional management.
Accounting for objects: the rattle of historical memory
In recent years, objects exhumed from Francoist mass graves have sparked considerable media interest. The press recounts familial and scientific-technical stories associated with these objects through diverse discursive practices. This article analyses, through press articles published between 2009 and 2023, the discourse surrounding the rattle exhumed alongside Catalina Muñoz Arranz, a woman repressed by Franco's regime in Palencia in 1936. Employing Ruth Wodak’s methodology of historical discourse analysis and a neo-materialist and feminist interpretative framework, we introduce the concept of ambivalent object, showing how journalistic narratives about the rattle generate political deactivations marked by gender, as well as reparative reactivations of historical memory.
Elites and criminality in Colombia: analysis from the Truth Commission’s report
The article analyzes how elites and criminality influenced violence during the armed conflict in Colombia. Using the categories of constellations, crimilegal order, and secrecy, it explains how interactions between politicians, entrepreneurs, and criminals shaped illegal social orders. The qualitative comparative methodology included process tracing in Volume 2 of the Final Report of the Commission for the Clarification of Truth. Six mechanisms associated with criminal governance were identified: elite alliances, drug trafficking, political power, land control, politics and crime, and paramilitarism, concluding that the relationship with criminality contributes to explaining the violence among the country.
Sálvame: A Paradigmatic Format of Genre Hybridization in the History of Spanish Television
On June 23, 2023, the last episode of one of the most successful formats on Spanish television since its premiere in 2009 was broadcast: Sálvame, the hallmark of Telecinco (Mediaset Group). This study aims to determine the genre to which the format was ascribed and what were the elements that contributed to its success and permanence on screen for fourteen years with a screen share higher than the average of the channel, being this the most watched in Spain for ten consecutive years (2012-2022). After conducting twenty in-depth interviews, the results point to Sálvame as a paradigmatic case of television hybridization. This mix of genres focused on entertainment is the main asset of the program.
The Ideological Work of the #Tradwives Movement: Monetizing Anti-Feminist Aesthetics in the Digital Sphere
The debate on gender equality is increasingly polarised, with an anti-feminist movement that considers it an ‘ideological invention’ (Tebaldi and Baran, 2023). This rejection, especially among young men (CIS, 2024), is reflected in the expansion of the ‘manosphere’, also present in Spain (García Mingo et al., 2022). In parallel, the #Tradwives movement has emerged, promoting a hyper-feminine aesthetic. The article analyses how female abnegation is presented as a false promise of freedom, contributing to the normalisation of women's dependency and reinforcing the reactionary narratives of the far right. Through digital ethnography and discourse analysis, it concludes that the ‘tradwife’ aesthetic perpetuates gender roles, monetising patriarchal femininity under a supposed ideological neutrality.
Use of artificial intelligence by university students of Communication: knowledge, advantages, disadvantages and professional futurology
Given the growing adoption of AI in education, we surveyed the perception and use of AI among undergraduate Communication students. 90.3 % have used AI tools for academic work, with ChatGPT being the most popular. Despite extended use, 65.7 % would not recommend AI for academic work, indicating a concern about a possible decrease in critical skills and technology dependence. Advantages —better time management and quality of work— and disadvantages —unreliability and risk of plagiarism— are identified. Although AI can be a valuable tool in higher education, its use must be regulated and accompanied by proper training for students to maximise benefits and minimise risks. It is suggested that universities develop clear policies on the use of AI and provide specific training to prepare the whole community for an increasingly digitised working environment.
Journalism in Film: All the President´s Men and The Post as Two Visions of The Washington Post
This paper presents an analysis of the representation of journalism in cinema through two key films: All the President's Men (1976) and The Post (2017), both centered on historical journalistic moments led by reporters from The Washington Post. Based on five variables—democratic function, journalistic ethics, social impact, gender representation, and relationship with power—this study examines how the image of journalism is constructed in these cinematic works. The study is grounded in Habermas's public sphere theory and framing theory, which provide a framework to interpret the role of cinema in shaping public perceptions of journalism. The research also addresses the tensions between the idealization of the profession and the challenges faced by those who practice it.
Media Coverage of Surrogacy and International Adoption in Ukraine: A Comparative Study of ABC and El País (2010–2024)
This study analyzes the media coverage of news related to adoption and surrogacy in Ukraine through metaphorical representations found in El País and ABC from 2010 to 2024. Using a qualitative approach, 41 news articles were examined with a focus on the metaphors employed. The objectives were to identify metaphorical language, compare its use across both newspapers, and analyze potential ideological differences. Findings confirm that adoption is portrayed positively (using metaphors such as “salvation” and “new life”) while surrogacy is depicted negatively (e.g., as “business” or “transaction”), with minor discursive variations linked to editorial stance.
Voluntary Transparency in Spanish Universities: A Website Analysis on the Occasion of March 8th, International Women's Day
The study reflects on voluntary or proactive institutional transparency in Spanish universities through their official websites. It analyzes the informational visibility given to the commemoration of International Women's Day on March 8, 2025, across university websites. A comparative study is conducted between public and private universities, focusing on the presence of topic-specific news, differences in the tone and scope of information, and the programming of institutional activities supported by gender equality units or offices within the institutions. This is an exploratory study employing both qualitative and quantitative content analysis, covering the entirety of Spanish universities.
Narrative Strategies to ‘Give Voice to the Voiceless’ in Holocaust Survivors’ Testimonies
The article analyses ten literary works written by Holocaust survivors’ and explores how authors, through their written testimonies, act as spokespersons for the victims who perished. It examines how survivors employ different narrative strategies that help to give voice to those who could not survive. These strategies include the use of the first-person plural and a collective we, expressive rawness and a critical tone, and the nominal treatment of victims. The study concludes that such discursive strategies enable survivors to honour Holocaust victims and prevent their oblivion, integrating them into history through the narration of their experiences.
De Haro de San Mateo, María Verónica (Coord.). (2025). Las Cuatro Plumas: fértil residencia. Servicio de publicaciones. Universidad de Murcia, 208 pp. Depósito Legal: MU-777-2025
Rafael R. Tranche, 2025. Instantes para la historia de la Transición. Madrid, Ediciones Cátedra, 320 pp.
Carolina Cerrano y José Antonio Saravia, Luis Alberto de Herrera: un liderazgo político, Debate, 2025, 368 pp., ISBN 978-9915-690-89-6
Basques on the BBC: exile, radio and propaganda (1941–1956)
The aim of this article is to explain the involvement of Basques exiles in the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) between 1941 and 1956. The research, which has used unpublished sources from four Basque archives, concludes that this radio collaboration responded to the propaganda strategies of both the Foreign Office and the Basque Government. The different international political contexts determined the nature of this cooperation, so that two distinct periods can be distinguished: the years of the Second World War, in which Basque representation was personified in the person of Canon Alberto Onaindia, and the years between 1947 and 1956, in which brief broadcasts were made in Basque as part of the Spanish Program. This study fills a gap in the literature on Basque broadcasting and on the BBC's external services.
Chantal Akerman: film portraiture as an interrogation of trauma
Two of the most important studies on the genre of portraiture in painting (Galienne and Pierre Francastel, 1969) and film (Jacques Aumont, 1992) conclude that the twentieth century marked the decline of a genre that no longer finds a way to express itself; this would be due to a kind of disorientation or loss of interest on the part of artists and filmmakers, which would be evidence of a cultural context of loss of meaning of the face. This article proposes to reconsider these assertions in the light of the patient and complex work carried out over half a century by Chantal Akerman with regard to the figure of her mother, a Holocaust survivor; one of the most protean and ambitious portraits in the history of cinema, consisting of a dozen films, video installations and novels.
Exclusion on Screen: Transphobia in Chilean Television Fiction Series
The lack of representation of trans individuals in the audiovisual industry demonstrates the inadequacy of the LGBT inclusion process within mainstream culture. This study analyzes trans visibility in six Chilean television productions through a historical review of television fiction series from the 21st century. Using a visual methodology, this narrative analysis examines seven trans characters, focusing on their gender performance, sexual and affective interactions, and the type of ending. None of the shows feature a trans protagonist. Instead, their inclusion is limited to episodic roles and background characters. In conclusion, the criminalization, pathologization, and comedic depiction of trans individuals act as centrifugal forces that push them to the margins of narratives and television representations.
Videogames are for boys: male gaming as an anti-gender identity
The videogame industry is the most important cultural and entertainment industry of our times with 3,2 billion players worldwide and with a social and cultural impact in every aspect of our lives. The industry itself has historically been constructed as a masculinist space where geek masculinity was the role model to follow. In this work we propose to analyse how the masculinist culture that developed this space have generated an affinity between a sector of the gaming community and the anti-gender groups from the manosphere. We will study the creation of the gamer identity as an anti-gender identity that it´s born from a rhetoric of victimhood and betrayal that is normal on current far-right wing forces. La industria del videojuego es la industria cultural y del entretenimiento más importante de nuestros días, con 3.200 millones de jugadores en todo el mundo y con un impacto social y cultural en todos los aspectos de nuestras vidas. La propia industria se ha construido históricamente como un espacio masculinista en el que la masculinidad geek era el modelo que seguir. En este trabajo nos proponemos analizar cómo la cultura masculinista que ha desarrollado este espacio ha generado una afinidad entre un sector de la comunidad de jugadores y los grupos anti-género de la esfera masculina. Estudiaremos la creación de la identidad gamer como una identidad anti-género que nace de una retórica de victimismo y traición que es normal en las actuales fuerzas de extrema derecha.
Fiction Transmedia Storytelling: A Study on Preferences among Youngsters
The study of transmedia storytelling has focused the attention of Ibero-American academia in recent years, with investigations that analyze the stories being frequent, but those that question audiences are still unusual. Thus, this work presents the results of a survey of 230 university students in order to know which fiction titles dominate their transmedia consumption. After counting their responses to an open question, 50 cases were identified with at least 10 mentions among the respondents’ preferences. The findings indicate that this consumption is characterized by different attributes: mainstream, global, traditional and conservative in gender issues.
Carmen Martín Gaite’s creative and communication theory in her literary and historical background
This article examines Carmen Martín Gaite's theory of literary creation and its connection to a communicative perspective on literature. Through a discourse analysis, four main categories have been identified: author, reader, text, and context, as well as various subcategories. The results show that, according to the author, a work of fiction is a space of collaboration between the author and the reader where the former must select and organise the elements of the text to make the story believable and invite the reader to engage, while the latter must strive to maintain their attention on the text and interpret it in their own way. Martín Gaite developed a unique literary theory that can be related to the fundamental concepts of pragmatics of literary communication.
“Martyrs of Duty”. Pioneers of Portuguese journalism in the United States
The aim of this paper is to identify and highlight the work of immigrants who have made the history of Portuguese journalism in the United States, a history of self-taught editors who managed to fulfil their American dream. To this end, existing newspaper archives have been reviewed to collect biographical and professional data on a selection of pioneering editors of Portuguese journalism in the United States based on a representative sample of archetypal character. Among the conclusions, it shows how, in their beginnings, some editors were typographers who edited humble newspapers, but others managed to develop ambitious projects that served to create a public opinion with its own voice in the face of the dominant Anglo-Saxon discourse.
Colita: the participation of the post-Franco period photojournalist in the photobook Antifémina. The demand for women’s freedom as the object of her lens’ gaze
Colita was very active in the struggle for the vindication of women´s rights, especially in the years immediately after Franco´s death. Vindicación Feminista (1976-1979) was one of the first and most serious attempts to create a rigorous debate of denunciation and information on everything that affected and concerned women, an authoritative voice at the service of the feminist movement in Antifémina. It became a challenge to show through photojournalism the visual representation of the freedom of expression of women and their bodies, the opening of the new morals that still dragged “memory” of the Regime, to show women as stern consumers of catholic and political ideologies and to express the rejection of the standard canons of beauty.