Analyzing user ideologies and shared news during the 2019 argentinian elections

Abstract

Abstract The extensive data generated on social media platforms allow us to gain insights over trending topics and public opinions. Additionally, it offers a window into user behavior, including their content engagement and news sharing habits. In this study, we analyze the relationship between users’ political ideologies and the news they share during Argentina’s 2019 election period. Our findings reveal that users predominantly share news that aligns with their political beliefs, despite accessing media outlets with diverse political leanings. Moreover, we observe a consistent pattern of users sharing articles related to topics biased to their preferred candidates, highlighting a deeper level of political alignment in online discussions. We believe that this systematic analysis framework can be applied to similar scenarios in different countries, especially those marked by significant political polarization, akin to Argentina.

Keywords

• News sharing
• Social media
• Political polarization
• Confirmation bias
• News content analysis