INFLUENCE OF THE PRESS IN THE DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT. AN ANALYSIS OF THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE TWENTY MOST WIDELY READ NEWSPAPERS ON TWITTER IN SPAIN

Abstract

While newspaper print circulation continues to fall, newspapers' influence is shifting to the digital sphere, thus initiating new ways of engaging with their readers. With the aim of determining the relevance, in the digital environment, of the major Spanish newspapers with decades of traditional printed issues, this study measures the engagement, obtained through a comprehensive analysis, of the twenty most widely read newspapers on the Twitter social network in Spain. The main conclusion is that the highest engagement occurs in local newspapers, even though the greatest reach corresponds to the national press. The results confirm the need to implement new measures to control the business efficiency of the information industry.