Where does the information circulating in Bolsonarist groups on WhatsApp come from
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19132/1807-8583202253.123603Keywords:
information sources, WhatsApp, YouTube, bolsonarismAbstract
The present article aims to understand the informational paths present in Bolsonarist groups on WhatsApp on two levels. First, we characterize the sources of information mobilized and what the prioritization of certain informational actors can mean in the political debate. Next, we conduct a specific analysis of YouTube as an informational source. Our results point to a minority role of traditional media as information sources. In addition, we identify a central role of the so-called influencers, which seems to point to a valorization of less institutionalized and more personal mediations of information. The analysis of the interaction between YouTube and WhatsApp revealed that the most shared YouTube links in Bolsonarist groups tend to: (1) have a higher number of likes; (2) be shared on WhatsApp as soon as they are published on YouTube; and (3) be taken offline (either by the users themselves or by the platforms) some time after being published.
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