Information sources in the Spanish Social Media during the “Three days of March” (March 11-13 2004)

Abstract

This research tries to determine if the agenda during the period from March 11th to March 13th, 2004 was set by social media or traditional media. From content analysis of traditional media such as Cadena Ser, El Mundo and El País; and of social media (mainly blogs and bulletin boards) we can come to the conclusion that the social media agenda, at a cognitive level, was established by traditional media. We can conclude too that, during those three days, social media sources worked as gatherers of information from both Spanish and foreign traditional media; compilers of social movement press releases, calling for demonstrations; and to spread opinions linking the terrorist attack to the Aznar Government's foreign policy, and that asked for a response to terrorism in the polls. The agenda-setting therefore, had its source in traditional media, in the basic level of agenda –transfer of salience from media to public agenda–, and at the level of attribute agenda-setting and framing of the terrorist attacks. The agenda-setting, therefore, had its source in traditional media. It functioned not only at the basic level (transfer of salience from media to public agenda) but also at the attribute level, transferring the specific attributes of, as well as framing, the news of the terrorist attacks.