News Consumption in Spain: The Interplay of Ideology, Pluralism, and Socioeconomic Factors on Media Engagement

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Javier Díaz-Noci
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9559-4283
Laura Pérez-Altable
Universitat Pompeu Fabra
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3114-6371
Mario Pérez-Montoro
Universitat de Barcelona
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2426-8119

Objectives. This study aims to investigate the evolving news consumption patterns in Spain, focusing on the interplay between ideological predispositions, perceptions of media pluralism, and socioeconomic factors within an increasingly fragmented audience landscape.
Methodology. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining qualitative focus groups with quantitative surveys. This methodology explores how personal beliefs, economic status, and media diversity influence news consumption habits.
Findings. The findings reveal that ideological orientations significantly shape media preferences, with progressive individuals favouring digital news platforms and conservatives preferring traditional media. Participants who perceive greater media pluralism are more likely to engage with digital subscriptions and personalized news systems. Additionally, higher-income individuals show a greater willingness to pay for news, indicating a financial capacity to access varied and reliable news sources. Focus group discussions highlight emotional dimensions of news consumption, ranging from feelings of control and empowerment to exhaustion and scepticism, particularly concerning misinformation and media bias.
Value. The study provides valuable insights into the complex dynamics between financial capability, access to information, and media engagement. It offers a nuanced understanding of how ideological, economic, and pluralistic factors influence news consumption, which is crucial for media organizations navigating a fragmented audience landscape.

Keywords
Spain, Media fragmentation, Ideology, Media pluralism, News consumption

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How to Cite
Díaz-Noci, Javier et al. “News Consumption in Spain: The Interplay of Ideology, Pluralism, and Socioeconomic Factors on Media Engagement”. Hipertext.net, 2025, no. 31, pp. 143-55, doi:10.31009/hipertext.net.2025.i31.12.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

(c) Javier Díaz-Noci, Laura Pérez-Altable, Mario Pérez-Montoro, 2025


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Author Biographies

Javier Díaz-Noci, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Javier Díaz-Noci is a Full Professor of Communication. Main researcher of the Newsnet project (News, Networks, and Users in the Hybrid Media System. Transformation of the Media Industry and the News in the Post-Industrial Era, 2019-2022). Visiting researcher at the universities of Reno, Nevada (USA, 1997), Oxford (Basque Visiting Scholar, 1998-1999), Federal University of Bahia (Brazil, 2005 and 2008), and the University of East Anglia (United Kingdom, 2021). Recently, with a Salvador de Madariaga grant, a stay at University College Dublin (Ireland), academic half-year 2023-2024.

Laura Pérez-Altable, Universitat Pompeu Fabra

Laura Pérez-Altable is a Tenure Track Professor in the Department of Communication at Pompeu Fabra University. Her teaching and research focus on digital media studies and information consumption in the digital environment. She holds a PhD in Social Communication from Pompeu Fabra University and currently coordinates the DigiDoc research group, specializing in digital and interactive media, which is recognized by the Government of Catalonia. She has participated in various national and international projects on media and networked society and has been a visiting researcher at The Mitchell Center for Social Network Analysis (Manchester, UK).

Mario Pérez-Montoro, Universitat de Barcelona

Mario Pérez-Montoro is a Full Professor in the Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media at the University of Barcelona. His teaching and research focus on Interactive Communication and Information Visualization. He has completed postgraduate studies at the Istituto di Discipline della Comunicazione of the University of Bologna (Italy), and has been a Visiting Scholar at the CSLI (Center for the Study of Language and Information) of Stanford University (California, USA) and at the School of Information of UC Berkeley (California, USA).

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