La divulgación científica en Instagram: usos y estrategias desde la praxis chilena

Juan Ignacio Martin-Neira; Magdalena Trillo-Domínguez; María Dolores Olvera-Lobo

doi:10.7764/cdi.53.42515

Authors

Juan Ignacio Martin-Neira Universidad de Granada
Magdalena Trillo-Domínguez Universidad de Granada - Grupo Joly
María Dolores Olvera-Lobo Universidad de Granada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.53.42515

Keywords:

Instagram, science journalism, social media, public communication of science, Chile

Abstract

Both academic research and industry reports show how social networks have penetrated at a fast pace in Latin America. From the challenge of making specialized knowledge accessible to society, this phenomenon is an opportunity to learn how they are being used for scientific journalists working in specialized institutions. This study focuses on the Chilean context, paying special attention to Instagram. Due to its particularities and visual characteristics, this social network is replacing other applications such as Twitter and Facebook as a tool for scientific communication. The perception of the journalists working in scientific institutions and centers and their relationship with Instagram is hereby revealed, and its further analysis is developed based on a questionnaire with open and closed questions, which represents a contribution to the study on the journalistic use of social media. According to the results, 70% of those consulted identify Instagram as the most frequently used application for scientific dissemination on social media, due to its dynamism and visual capabilities to deliver messages. However, although there is a positive assessment of the platform and its importance as a great ally for the dissemination process, there is also a need to focus the messages and apply appropriate graphic criteria for greater effectiveness on posts and more engagement with the audiences.

Author Biographies

Juan Ignacio Martin-Neira, Universidad de Granada

Chilean journalist, Master in Scientific Communication and currently pursuing his doctorate in Social Sciences at the University of Granada, Spain. He has worked professionally in the media and, in particular, in the communications area of scientific dissemination projects in Chile (Explora Project), in addition to teaching at the University of La Serena and the Universidad Católica del Norte. Research lines: Scientific journalism, new narratives, social networks and audiovisual communication.

Magdalena Trillo-Domínguez, Universidad de Granada - Grupo Joly

Journalist, PhD in Communication from the University of Granada (Spain), master's degree in Cultural Management and specialist in Digital Journalism. She has more than twenty years of experience in different media and a decade as a teacher. For 13 years she has been director of the newspaper 'Granada Hoy'. She currently combines teaching with Digital Transformation at Grupo Joly. Research lines: Media innovation, transmedia journalism and cybermetrics applied to the media. Meridiana Award for Equality. She collaborates as an analyst at RTVE.

María Dolores Olvera-Lobo, Universidad de Granada

PhD in Documentation, full professor of the Department of Information and Communication of the University of Granada (Spain) and professor of the Faculties of Communication and Documentation, and of Translation and Interpretation. She is a principal investigator in R+D+I projects financed by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness, and in teaching innovation projects at the University of Granada. She is a member of the HUM-466 Research Group. Research lines: Public Communication of Science, Information Retrieval and New Trends in Translation.

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