Lobbying y medios de comunicación. Análisis de la cobertura periodística de los lobbies en España

Andrea Moreno Cabanillas; Antonio Castillo Esparcia; Elizabet Castillero Ostio

doi:10.4185/rlcs-2024-2059

Authors

Andrea Moreno Cabanillas University of Malaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1169-1607
Antonio Castillo Esparcia Universidad de Málaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9751-8628
Elizabet Castillero Ostio University of Malaga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0546-7262

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/rlcs-2024-2059

Keywords:

public relations, lobby, interest groups, communication, press, media coverage, Spain

Abstract

Introduction: Political communication is an area of maximum relevance in the construction of spaces for public discussion and is a basis for organisations in the direction of communication strategies and their techniques for an adequate interaction between organisations and their publics (Almansa-Martínez and Fernández-Souto, 2020; Castillo-Esparcia et al., 2020). Lobbying is a form of communication that seeks to influence the decision-making processes of public institutions on issues of interest to organisations (Castillo-Esparcia, 2011). Methodology: In this sense, the proposal aims to find out how lobbies are treated in the Spanish press. To this end, a quantitative methodology is carried out by means of a content analysis that will allow us to know the number of news items and the typology most included in the main generic Spanish newspapers such as ABC, El País, El Mundo, and two specialised newspapers such as Cinco Días and Expansión in the last six years, from 2017-2022. Results: It can be established that it is the generalist newspapers that generate the most publications on lobbying. Discussion: Based on previous studies (Castillo-Esparcia et al., 2017), the presence of lobbies in the media continues to be evident and constant, as has been observed in the field study carried out. Conclusions: Lobbies use the media as a tool to exert indirect influence on public policy decisions, forcing policy makers to listen to the majority opinion of society.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Antonio Castillo Esparcia, Universidad de Málaga

Professor at the University of Malaga. Degree and PhD in Communication from the Universitat Autónoma de Barcelona (UAB). Director of the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at the University of Malaga. Coordinator of the Master's Degree in Strategic Management and Innovation in Communication. Director of the Research Group "Public Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises. President of the Association of Public Relations Researchers (AIRP). Author of more than 170 publications including journal articles, books and book chapters in national and foreign publishers. He is also an evaluator for ANECA, the Agency for the Quality of the University System of Catalonia (AQU), the Agency for the Quality of the Basque University System (UNIBASQ) and the State Research Agency.

Elizabet Castillero Ostio, University of Malaga

PhD in Communication Sciences from the University of Malaga, Degree in Advertising and Public Relations and Master's Degree in Strategic Management and Innovation in Communication. She is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising at the Faculty of Communication Sciences (UMA). She is currently participating in the following competitive research projects: "Observatorio de los Gabinetes de Comunicación de Andalucía", "Lobby and Communication in the European Union. Analysis of its communication strategies" and "Communication and interest groups in Andalusia. Communication strategies for citizen participation in inclusive societies". His main current lines of research revolve around Public Relations and Political and Institutional Communication.

References

Aguilar Juncosa, I. M. (2021). Los riesgos de corrupción de los lobbies. Revista Española de la Transparencia, 12(1), 125-144. https://doi.org/10.51915/ret.122 DOI: https://doi.org/10.51915/ret.122

Almansa Martínez, A. y Fernández Souto, A.B. (2020). Professional Public Relations (PR) trends and challenges, El Profesional de la Información, 29(3). https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.may.03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3145/epi.2020.may.03

Almansa Martínez, A., Moreno Cabanillas, A. y Castillo Esparcia, A. (2021). Political Communication in Europe. The role of the lobby and its communication strategies. En Rocha, A., Barredo, D., López-López, P. C. y Puentes-Rivera, I. (Eds.) Communication and Smart Technologies. Springer. pp. 238-248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-5792-4_24

Almirón, N. y Xifra, J. (2016). Influence and Advocacy: Revisiting Hot Topics Under Pressure, American Behavioral Scientist, 60(3), pp. 253-255. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215615161 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764215615161

Alonso, E. (2016). Lobby en la Unión Europea. Manual sobre el buen uso de Bruselas. ESIC Editorial.

Aron, R. (2020). Lobby Digital: Como o cidadão conectado influencia as decisões de governos e empresas. Aberje

Austen Smith, D. (1993). Information and Influence: Lobbying for Agendas and Votes, American Journal of Political Science, 37(4), pp. 799–833. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2111575

Baldi, P. (1990). Lobby et information. Editions Universitaires Fribourg.

Beyers, J., Dür, A. y Wonka, A. (2018). The political salience of EU policies, Journal of European Public Policy, 25(11), pp. 1726-1737. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2017.1337213 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2017.1337213

Binderkrantz, A. S. y Pedersen, H. H. (2019). The lobbying success of citizen and economic groups in Denmark and the UK, Acta Politica 54(1), pp. 75-103. https://doi.org/10.1057/S41269-017-0076-7 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41269-017-0076-7

Borrat, H. (1989). El periódico, actor del sistema político, Anàlisi: cuadernos de comunicación y cultura, 12, pp. 67-80.

Bressanelli E., Koop, C. y Reh, C. (2020). EU actors under pressure: politicisation and depoliticisation as strategic responses, Journal of European Public Policy, 27(3), pp. 329-341. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1713193 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1713193

Campbell, A., Leister M. y Zenou, Y. (2019). Social Media and Polarization (July 2019). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP13860, https://ssrn.com/abstract=3428384 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3419073

Casero Ripollés, A. (2015). Estrategias y prácticas comunicativas del activismo político en las redes sociales en España, Historia y Comunicación Social, 20(2), pp. 533-548. https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_HICS.2015.v20.n2.51399 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/rev_HICS.2015.v20.n2.51399

Castillo Esparcia, A. (2011). Lobby y Comunicación. Editorial Comunicación Social.

Castillo Esparcia, A. (2020). Asuntos públicos. El lobby como actor político y social, La Revista de ACOP, 55, pp. 41-44. https://cutt.ly/DnWpzO4

Castillo Esparcia, A., Smolak Lozano, E. y Fernández Souto, A.B. (2017). Lobby y comunicación en España. Análisis de su presencia en los diarios de referencia, Revista Latina de Comunicación Social, 72, pp.783-802. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2017-1192 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2017-1192

Chalmers, A. W. (2013). Trading information for access: informational lobbying strategies and interest group access to the European Union, Journal of European Public Policy, 20(1), pp. 39-58. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2012.693411 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2012.693411

Chalmers, A. W. y Macedo, F. S. (2020). Does it pay to lobby? Examining the link between firm lobbying and firm profitability in the European Union, Journal of European Public Policy, 28(12), pp. 1993-2010. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1824012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2020.1824012

Chari, R. y Hillebrand O'Donovan, D. (2011). Lobbying the European Commission: Open or Secret? Socialism and Democracy, 25(2), pp. 104-124. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2017-1192 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/08854300.2011.579475

Crepaz, M. y Hanegraaff, M. (2020). The funding of interest groups in the EU: Are the rich getting richer? Journal of European Public Policy, 27(1), pp. 102-121. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1567572 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1567572

De Bruycker, I. (2019). Blessing or curse for advocacy? How news media attention helps advocacy groups to achieve their policy goals, Political Communication, 36(1), pp. 103-126. https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2018.1493007 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10584609.2018.1493007

De Bruycker, I. y Beyers J. (2019). Lobbying strategies and success: Inside and outside lobbying in European Union legislative politics, European Political Science Review, 11(1), pp. 57-74. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773918000218 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773918000218

Dempsey, S. E. (2009). NGOs, Communicative Labor, and the Work of Grassroots Representation, Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, 6(4), pp. 328-345. https://doi.org/10.1080/14791420903348625 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14791420903348625

Dinan, W. (2021): Lobbying Transparency: The Limits of EU Monitory Democracy, Politics and Governance, Volume 9, Issue 1, Pages 237–247. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v9i1.3936 DOI: https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.v9i1.3936

Dür, A., Bernhagen, P. y Marshall, D. (2015). Interest group success in the European Union: When (and Why) does business lose? Comparative Political Studies, 48(8) pp. 951-983. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0010414014565890 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414014565890

Farnel, F. J. (1994). Le lobbying. Strategies et techniques d´intervention. Les Éditions d´Organisation.

Flöthe, L. (2019). Technocratic or democratic interest representation? How different types of information affect lobbying success, Interest Groups & Advocacy, 8, pp. 165-183. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-019-00051-2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-019-00051-2

Flöthe, L. (2019). The costs of interest representation – A resource perspective on informational lobbying, European Political Science Review, 11(2), pp. 161-178. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773919000055 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773919000055

Gallagher Cunningham, K., Dahl, M. y Frugé, A. (2017). Strategies of Resistance: Diversification and Diffusion, American Journal of Political Science, 61(3), pp. 591-605. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12304 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12304

Hall, R.L., y A. Deardorff (2006). Lobbying as Legislative Subsidy, American Political Science Review, 100(1), pp. 69–84. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055406062010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055406062010

Hamilton, J. B. y Hoch, D. (1997). Ethical Standards for Business Lobbying: Some Practical Suggestions, Business Ethics Quarterly, 7(3), pp. 117-129. https://doi.org/10.2307/3857317 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/3857317

Harris, P. y McGrath, C. (2012). Political Marketing and Lobbying: A Neglected Perspective and Research Agenda, Journal of Political Marketing, 11(1-2), pp. 75-94. https://doi.org/10.1080/15377857.2012.642745 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15377857.2012.642745

Heath, R. (2016). Handbook of Public Relations. SAGE Publications.

Hobbs, M., Della Bosca, H., Schlosberg, D., y Sun, C. (2020). Turf wars: Using social media network analysis to examine the suspected astroturfing campaign for the Adani Carmichael Coal mine on Twitter, Journal of public affairs, 20(2), pp. 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2057 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2057

Holdo, M., Öberg, P. y Magnusson, S. (2019). Do citizens use storytelling or rational argumentation to lobby politicians? Policy & Politics, 47(4), pp. 543-559. https://doi.org/10.1332/030557319X15613700896551 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1332/030557319X15613700896551

Junk, W. M. (2020). Co-operation as currency: How active coalitions affect lobbying success, Journal of European Public Policy, 27(6), pp. 873-892. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1631377 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2019.1631377

Klüver, H. (2012). Informational Lobbying in the European Union: The Effect of Organisational Characteristics, West European Politics, 35(3), pp. 491-510. https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2012.665737 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2012.665737

Kollman, K. (1998). Outside lobbying: Public opinion and interest group strategies. Princeton University Press DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691221472

Mergeai, S. y Gilain, H. (2020). Analyse comparative des stratégies employées par le lobby pharmaceutique, gazier et automobile visant à influencer les réglementations de l’UE. Louvain: Louvain School of Management, Université Catholique de Louvain.

Micó, J. L. y Casero Ripollés, A. (2014). Political activism online: organization and media relations in the case of 15M in Spain, Communication & Society, 17(7), pp. 858-871. https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.830634 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2013.830634

Mykkänen, M., y Ikonen, P. (2019). Media strategies in lobbying process. A literature review on publications in 2000-2018. Academicus International Scientific Journal, 20(20), pp. 34-50. https://doi.org/10.7336/academicus.2019.20.03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.7336/academicus.2019.20.03

Nassar, P. (2007). Lobby o que é. Como se faz. Ética e transparência na representação junto a governos. Editora Peirópolis.

Raknes, K., y Ihlen, Ø. (2020). Self‐interest in new wrapping:“Appeal to the public interest” as a topos in lobbying, Journal of Public Affairs, 20(2), e2059. https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2059 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/pa.2059

Rasmussen, A., Mader, L. K. y Reher, S. (2018) With a little help from the people? The role of public opinion in advocacy success, Comparative Political Studies 51(2), pp. 139–164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414017695334 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0010414017695334

Schnakenberg, K. E. (2017). Informational Lobbying and Legislative Voting, American Journal of Political Science, 61(1), pp. 129-145. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12249 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12249

Stevens, F. y De Bruycker, I. (2020). Influence, affluence and media salience: Economic resources and lobbying influence in the European Union, European Union Politics, 21(4), pp. 728-750. https://doi.org/10.1177/1465116520944572 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1465116520944572

Thurber, J. A. (2010). Rivals for Power: Presidential-Congressional Relations. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Vallance, K., Vincent, A., Schoueri-Mychasiw, N., Stockwell, T., Hammond, D., Greenfield, T. K., McGavock, J. y Hobin, E. (2020). News media and the influence of the alcohol industry: an analysis of media coverage of alcohol warning labels with a cancer message in Canada and Ireland, Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 81(2), 273-283. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2020.81.273 DOI: https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2020.81.273

Walker, L. J. (1991). Mobilizing Interest Group in America. The University of Michigan Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3998/mpub.12845

Weiler, F. y Reißmann, J. (2019). Interest group coalitions: how the intensity of cooperation affects the choice of lobbying strategies, Interest Groups Advocacy 8, pp. 91–119 https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-019-00047-y DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41309-019-00047-y

Wilson, F.L. (1983). French Interest Groups Politics: Pluralist or Neocorporatist? The American Political Science Review, 77(4), Diciembre, pp. 895-910. https://doi.org/10.2307/1957565 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1957565

Wratil, C. (2019). Territorial representation and the opinion–policy linkage: Evidence from the European Union, American Journal of Political Science, 63(1), 197-211. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12403 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajps.12403

Xifra, J. (2000). Lobbying: Como influir eficazmente en las decisiones de las instituciones públicas. Gestión 2000.