La plataformización de la comunicación política institucional. El uso de WhatsApp por parte de las administraciones locales

Silvia  Marcos-García; Hugo Doménech-Fabregat; Andreu Casero-Ripolles

doi:10.4185/RLCS-2021-1520

Authors

Silvia Marcos-García Universitat Jaume I de Castelló http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1682-1009
Hugo Doménech-Fabregat Universitat Jaume I de Castelló https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7609-8361
Andreu Casero-Ripolles Universitat Jaume I de Castelló http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6986-4163

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2021-1520

Keywords:

political communication; institutional communication; city councils; mobile instant messaging services; WhatsApp; platformization, political communication, institutional communication, city councils, mobile instant messaging services, WhatsApp, platformization

Abstract

Introduction: In recent years, digital platforms, especially mobile instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, have become essential tools for local administrations. Changes in the habits of the population, more likely to carry out their procedures through mobile devices, but also the possibility that these platforms offer to promote direct and immediate communication have made city councils see in them a way to improve relations with the citizens. Our objective is to analyse the characteristics, uses and functions that local institutions confer on their mobile instant messaging services to communicate with citizens. Methodology: A qualitative analysis has been carried out through in-depth interviews with eighteen municipalities, selected based on their number of inhabitants. Results: The results show an overview of the uses of WhatsApp by local administrations. This makes it possible to identify the motivations and objectives in its implementation, its characteristics in relation to its contents and planning and its future challenges. Conclusion and discussion: The findings of this research show that WhatsApp is fully established in the local administrations. However, its use is not capable of taking advantage of all the potentialities of the digital environment, especially due to the lack of dialogue with citizens and solid strategic planning.

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Author Biographies

Silvia Marcos-García, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló

Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences of the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (UJI). She is a Doctor in Communication Sciences, graduated in Journalism, and has a Master’s degree in New Trends and Innovation Processes in Communication from the UJI. Her lines of research focus on journalism, social networks, and political communication from different perspectives that take into account both the figure of the journalist and that of the politician and citizen. She teaches in the degrees of Journalism, Audiovisual Communication, and Advertising and Public Relations in subjects related to journalistic information on radio and television, as well as in the official Master’s degree in New Trends and Innovation Processes in Communication.

Hugo Doménech-Fabregat, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló

Associate Professor of the Department of Communication Sciences of the Universitat Jaume I (UJI). He has a degree in Information Sciences from the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (UPSA). Furthermore, he is a University Specialist in Photography and Art from the Universidad Politécnica de Valencia (UPV). His lines of research focus on the study of Digital Journalism, Journalistic Genres, and Photojournalism from different perspectives. He has participated in different research projects obtained in competitive state and regional calls and national and international scientific congresses. He is co-director of the documentary feature La sombra del iceberg. Autopsia a la mítica fotografía de Robert Capa (2007), awarded in various national and international festivals.

Andreu Casero-Ripolles, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló

Full University Professor of Journalism in the Department of Communication Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló. He has a degree from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and a Ph.D. from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra. He has directed, as chief researcher, a total of 10 R&D projects in competitive calls. He was the coordinator for the Communication field (CSO panel) of the Spanish Research Agency (AEI by its acronym in Spanish) of the Government of Spain between 2016 and 2019. Currently, he is president of the Social Sciences area of the Andalusian Knowledge Agency (AAC-DEVA) in the area of research evaluation. He has carried out research stays at Columbia University, the University of Westminster, or the Università degli Studi de Firenze, among others. His lines of research focus on political communication and the digital transformations of journalism.

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