Opinion-oriented news as a source of polarized disinformation on the EU: a case study analysis during the 2019 EP elections

Abstract

The role of truth for the society is undermined in an accelerated digital era, since opinions are more important than facts in the shaping of the public opinion. Journalists seem to prefer opinionated stories, especially regarding complex issues such as the EU. This means a crisis of this sort of democratic institutions. In the case of the EU, its news coverage is also affected by a distant approach that overlaps with a feeling of remoteness towards the European project. Taking these trends into account, the current research aims to conceptualize the role of opinionated news in disinformation, as this practice takes advantage of a polarized public opinion. Beyond a theoretical approach, we use the multiple-case study as research strategy to assess the degree of opinion-oriented stories about the European Union (EU). The report of this issue suffers from cultural clashes that threaten its journalistic quality. In the multiple-case study here applied, we compare the coverage of EU affairs in local media from Germany, United Kingdom (UK) and Spain. The analysis is performed on a sample of news items on European issues (n=612), collected over a six-month period during the 2019 European Parliament (EP) elections. The study focuses on two variables (personalization and negativity) through the analysis of headlines, topics and reader’s comments. Drawing upon the sample, we argue that the prominence of opinion-oriented news about the EU could boost polarized disinformation. Polarization is more frequent in the UK (polarized liberal), while the German press shows approaches that seek a balance from different sources and the Spanish cases present a low negativity. Our theoretical approach reveals how the current state of play of journalism has influenced the success of polarization in the digital sphere. This disruptive communication around individualization could mean a decline of democratic institutions, as facts are no longer relevant for the audience.