The public debate on Twitter in the Iberian sphere: Comparative analysis of the characteristics in Portugal and Spain

Abstract

The behaviour of the different types of actors in the digital environment can play a fundamental role in the polarization of the public debate and the spread of hostile and inflammatory discourses. Research has shown that emotional rhetoric prevails in political messages posted on social media, which in turn have become a scenario that facilitates the use of more aggressive language against opposing positions and ideological adversaries. However, recent studies have found that media and online audience polarization levels vary depending on national contexts, and that the characteristics of different traditional media systems continue to be reflected in some patterns that determine social media conversation in each country. This chapter offers a comparative approach to the political, media, and citizen discourses within Twitter in the two Iberian countries, Spain and Portugal. In particular, this work analyses the tweets posted by journalists or political commentators and party leaders, as well as the topics that generate the greatest interest on media accounts, and the users’ replies to information related to political issues.