FinanciaciónEste trabajo ha sido subvencionado por el Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades de España dentro del proyecto RTI2018-095775-B-C44.

Pere Masip is a professor of journalism at the University of Ramon Llull, where he also gained his PhD in journalism. He is the main researcher of the research group Digilab: media, strategy and regulation. His main research interests are media convergence, digital journalism, and the impact of technology on journalistic and communication practices. He has participated in several national and international projects. He is currently coordinating a research, development, and innovation project funded by the AbstractBased on a quantitative approach, this paper presents some of the preliminary results of a research project focused on the analysis of the motivations that encourage citizens to actively participate in online news media, using the mechanisms provided by their websites, and through open social network platforms. The findings show that, although there is a widespread discourse of distrust in connection to journalists and the traditional media institutions, as well as general criticism of the actual practices of journalists, the common understanding of the participatory dimension of the media does not entail discourses of change or modification of the existing hegemony. Instead of turning to alternative sources, such as citizen journalism or non-traditional media, or taking the lead by creating their own content, citizens prefer to continue to respect journalism as a profession and the traditional media institutions as the main producers of news as well as the most trusted sources of information. Furthermore, although in previous studies audience participation "in" the media has been highlighted, the findings of this research show that the practice of user recommendation or dissemination of media content through social networks has been adopted by a large number of citizens. KeywordsParticipatory journalism; Active audiences; UGC; Online journalism; Social networks; Surveys. ResumenEste artículo presenta los primeros resultados de un proyecto de investigación centrado en el análisis de las motivaciones que impulsan a los ciudadanos a participar activamente a través de los mecanismos que con ese fin ofrecen los medios digitales y a través de las redes sociales. Los resultados muestran que a pesar de los discursos generalizados de desconfianza en torno a los periodistas y los medios de comunicación tradicionales, así como las quejas generales sobre la práctica de la profesión periodística, la dimensión participativa de los medios de comunicación no conlleva un discurso o modificación de las hegemonías existentes. En lugar de recurrir a fuentes alternativas (como el periodismo ciudadano o medios no tradicionales), o generar contenidos informativos propios, los ciudadanos siguen confiando en los periodistas y los medios tradicionales como los principales productores de noticias, así como las fuentes de información de mayor confianza. Por otra parte, aunque tradicionalmente se ha destacado la participación de las audiencias "en" los medios, los resultados muestran que las prácticas de recomendación o diseminac...

In little over a decade, essential concepts in research on communication have become zombie concepts (Beck & Willms, 2004) and are no longer effective for understanding the profound transformation that has taken place with the arrival of the internet. Public sphere, deliberation, audiences, public... the academic literature has oscillated between an initial optimism about the potential for strengthening democracy of communication technologies to a critical scepticism. This text reviews the academic literature with regard to the forms of social deliberation adopted in the context of the media and social networks and its impact on the public sphere.

Within the current hybrid media system, in which the “old” and “new” media coexist, the role of social networks in the consumption of news has become increasingly important in recent years. Previous research has highlighted the importance and the transformational potential of user interactions in social networks in the traditional news cycle, when exchanging or discussing content related to news or public affairs, jeopardizing the traditional hegemony of the journalists and media as gatekeepers of public affairs. Our research follows a mixed methodological approach (survey plus focus groups) that reach relevant conclusions that expands the body of research about the role of news sites and social networks within the formulation of public opinion and its effects on audiences and journalism. Results showed how news sites and social networks, through links posted by friends, relatives, or acquaintances, facilitate people to access news outside their usual patterns of news consumption. Social networks, in this way, could break with the preestablished dynamics of selective exposure of individuals.

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