The polarization of "La Manada": The public debate in Spain and the risks of digital political communication

Abstract

Several authors have raised in recent years that the new scenario generated by digital communication causes citizens to have a role with greater prominence in the public debate. However, apart from the multiple political and communicative opportunities arising from the irruption of digital social networks, we find some risks and limitations relevant to political communication such as lack of civility (Incivility). The objective of this research is to analyze, through the study of the case of "La Manada" (of great social and political repercussion in Spain) and making use of Big data techniques, the possible polarization of public debate in the social network Twitter and the existence of this type of negative practices, especially when they affect women. We find a scenario of extreme polarization in which both parties tend to use the subject of debate as a pretext to reinforce the positions that separate the left and the right in Spain.