Treatment of the Airbnb controversy by the press

Abstract

Airbnb is one of the most transformative developments in the traditional accommodation system. Due to the social impact it entails, Airbnb is currently a present topic in the press, although studies on how Airbnb is treated in the press are very scarce. Thus, this article aims to analyse the treatment of Airbnb controversial issues in the press and its evolution. The analysis method is first to follow the evolution from 2016 to 2018, second, to conduct a computerised quantitative content analysis, and finally to analyse the importance of information published through compositional data analysis. Results show that topics appearing most in the news are legal issues and regulations followed by gentrification, new forms of tourism and sharing economy, mainly being treated from a negative perspective, although are evolving towards a more positive vision. Results can be useful for local and national authorities to understand and manage this phenomenon.