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Diversity of Journalisms. Proceedings of ECREA/CICOM Conference, Pamplona, 4-5 July 2011
Mass Media and Multimedia Convergence: A Research
Proposal for Evaluation of Online Newspapers
Manuel de la Fuente*, Germán Llorca*, Lluís Codina**, Javier Díaz Noci**
* University of València, Spain
** Pompeu Fabra University, Spain
Abstract
This paper analyses the content of Spanish online media through a specific database.
The study is a result of the project “Evolución de los cibermedios españoles en el
marco de la convergencia. Análisis del mensaje” [“Evolution of Spanish online media
facing convergence Message and content analysis”] (CSO2009-13713-C05-04),
financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. We focus on the process
of data collection, which includes the selection of the media corpus, the evaluation of
websites, the application of methodology, the creation of databases and the contrast of
results according to homogenous patterns. This process intends to propose a new
model for content analysis originating in the multidisciplinary fields of the members of
the research group (Linguistics, Semiotics, Documentation and Media Studies).
Prior to the content analysis, a data gathering protocol was applied during the second
semester of 2010 covering four weeks and twenty-five of the most relevant online
media. Fifteen of these media were Spanish, while the rest were chosen amongst the
most representative international online newspapers (notably France, Italy, England,
Argentina, Brazil and the United States) so as to carry out a comparative analysis of
their contents.
The results will be contrasted with a second data collection to be undertaken in
October 2011. The corpus of research – which includes the three most relevant news
in each newspaper and its homepage – will help design an accurate mapping of online
media writing strategies.
Keywords: Evaluation. Online news
Introduction
Since the aim of this project (coordinated with another four sub-groups dealing with
different aspects of Spanish online journalism and convergence) is to analyze the
Spanish online media, we will concentrate on several of them, chosen from the case
database developed by the SEJ2006-14828-C06 research project, in which I
coordinated a sub-group from the University of the Basque Country, and applying a
convergence formula developed based on point assignment and developed by Xosé
López, Xosé Pereira, Teresa de la Hera and Idoia Portilla (vide A methodological tool:
An index to calculate the level of convergente of a medium,
http://prezi.com/48942/view/#64), as represented in this table.
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