Reaction and denial propaganda on social media

Abstract

Introduction: For political organizations, social media, far from being a space for dialogue with citizens, have become another tool for unidirectional communication. Thus, this paper aims to deepen the propagandistic use of YouTube by political parties, focusing the case study on Andalusia, the Spanish region with the largest population and the first where the far-right party Vox achieved influential parliamentary representation. Methodology: Specifically, a content analysis was applied to 999 videos published throughout 2020 by political parties with representation in the Andalusian Parliament, considering variables such as the presence of the party symbols, the type of propaganda used and the reference to a rival political party. Results: Considering the foregoing, the results are discussed in terms of de-ideologization, populism, and the reduction of programmatic ideas. Conclusions: We find differences in the type of propaganda used (with emphasis on reaction and denial propaganda), pointing to a significant inability of political parties to propose alternatives, which is related to the rise of populism and the pseudo-abandonment of ideology.