European Journal of Communication

This article examines how participatory publics persist in depopulated rural areas during periods of low visibility and mobilization. Drawing on pragmatism and mediatization theory, we analyse communicative figurations in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) using survey data (N = 529) and develop a Participatory Public Connection Index. Regression models reveal that public connection is driven more by communicative and territorial factors – such as local radio use, civic motivations and municipality size – than by sociodemographics. Our findings suggest that local media help sustain symbolic bonds and latent publics, contributing to democratic engagement and territorial cohesion despite the absence of visible collective action. We conceptualize latency as the communicative and symbolic potential through which publics persist beyond visible mobilization; operationally, the Participatory Public Connection Index captures this latent connection sustained by everyday local media practices.

This study presents findings from a quantitative content analysis of 975 German momfluencer Instagram accounts, exploring how motherhood is portrayed in the context of the platform economy. Grounded in a social constructivist perspective the analysis investigates how increasing self-professionalization—measured by follower count—affects self-presentation and thematic focus. Social media platforms reward visibility and engagement, prompting influencers to align with prevailing platform logics. The results show that with greater reach, momfluencers increasingly adopt more conforming and marketable representations of motherhood, suggesting a shift toward stereotypical portrayals. The study highlights how platform dynamics shape digital self-representation and reinforce exclusion in maternal representations. By examining how influencer practices both reflect and reproduce traditional gender roles, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of gendered labor in digital environments and its economic dimensions.

This article investigates how professional fact-checkers defend collaborations with major platform companies such as Meta, Alphabet, and ByteDance. Drawing on 12 qualitative interviews with European fact-checkers, the study applies rhetorical apologia theory to analyse recurring justificatory arguments. We identify four modes of differentiation and three modes of transcendence employed by fact-checkers. Arguments of differentiation involve distancing fact-checking from platform company partners to emphasise editorial independence; distinguishing between different platform companies to legitimise partnerships with certain actors while rejecting others (notably TikTok owned by ByteDance); separating platform companies as a whole and specific employees within them; and contrasting platform funding with state funding to defend the former as less compromising for editorial autonomy. Arguments of transcendence invoke counter-factual scenarios of unmitigated misinformation; appealing to broader alliances against disinformation; and highlighting the potential for improving platform companies from within. These findings contribute to existing scholarship by unpacking how fact-checkers negotiate the complex institutional dependencies of platform company partnerships by simultaneously acknowledging risks and asserting pragmatic necessity. As such, the study provides a deeper understanding of the challenges facing fact-checking organisations and their efforts to establish legitimacy as epistemic authorities in the boundary terrain shared with other key actors in today's media landscape.

This study examines the role of social media and influencers in promoting harmful physical stereotypes that increase adolescents’ vulnerability to eating disorders (EDs). Using a mixed-method approach, we analyse national and international news on EDs published by El País and El Mundo in 2024 (N = 24), along with a content analysis of 10 Instagram profiles of celebrities who have publicly acknowledged suffering from EDs. Although information about these disorders is abundant, adolescents do not always interpret it critically. Social media has become a space where unhealthy aesthetic ideals and unverified health content circulate widely. Influencers often reinforce extreme thinness and perfection, while messages on mental health or body diversity remain scarce. We also identify digital subcultures that normalise risky practices, including viral challenges and pro-anorexia communities. The study highlights the importance of enhancing media literacy, promoting positive role models and demanding greater accountability in content targeted at minors.

Understanding covert discrimination is as critical as overt discrimination in combating injustices. This study examines how news media consumption and trust shape covert discriminatory preferences. By analyzing various news media sources (television, newspapers, and social media) and various discrimination grounds, we highlight the complex relationship between factors driving covert discrimination. We use data from an online survey among 3000 Belgian adults, employing a conjoint experimental design to capture implicit bias in the seating preferences on public transport. Results show that media consumption and trust significantly moderate discriminatory preferences. Light consumers of public television news and heavy consumers of commercial television news display greater discriminatory preferences. Higher trust in public broadcasters and quality newspapers aligns with favoring individuals without visible minority traits, while lower trust correlates with preferences for overweight and transgender individuals. TikTok, X, and Instagram consumption also influences these patterns. Our findings have implications for media policy and diversity interventions.