- Vergara 240, piso 6,
Santiago Chile - 56-22-6762381
Teresa Correa
Universidad Diego Portales, Faculty of Communications, Faculty Member
- Universidad Diego Portales, Journalism, Faculty Memberadd
- I am full professor and research director of CICLOS (Centro de Investigación en Comunicación, Literatura y Observació... moreI am full professor and research director of CICLOS (Centro de Investigación en Comunicación, Literatura y Observación Social) in the School of Communication at Diego Portales University, Santiago Chile.
I'm also associate editor of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
My broad areas of interest are new technologies, digital media access and use, health communication and media sociology. Specifically, my current program of work focuses on two areas: 1) digital media access and the social, cultural, and psychological factors that affect the usage of information and communication technologies, and 2) health communication and inequality. I rely on mixed methods. My research has been published in more than 50 journal articles and book chapters.
I'm currently working on several projects: (1) a four-year investigation about digital inclusion, mobiles, and vulnerable populations in urban and rural contexts funded by a national grants (Fondecyt), (2) a seven-year project that assesses the impact of a public policy that regulates advertising to prevent obesity (in conjunction with University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and INTA, U. de Chile), funded by IDRC, Fondecyt and Bloomberg Philantropies and (3) and a global project on online feminist movements around the world using computational methods in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I continue my research on digital media use in family contexts using dyadic data, as well as (4) digital media use among young people.
My research –which has been published in more than 50 journal articles and book chapters-- has been funded by several grants from the Chilean National Agency of Research and Development (ANID), the International Development Research Centre from Canada, Bloomberg Philanthropies. and the American Association of Family and Consumer Science.edit
Garnering coverage across the political spectrum is a major challenge for burgeoning social movements. The #MeToo movement stands out due to the volume of attention it generated. Yet, it is unclear how news media across the partisan... more
Garnering coverage across the political spectrum is a major challenge for burgeoning social movements. The #MeToo movement stands out due to the volume of attention it generated. Yet, it is unclear how news media across the partisan spectrum covered the movement using different sexual violence language markers, latent topic, and word choices and which accusations and events drove media attention. To examine this, we used Media Cloud to extract 17,877 news articles from nine media outlets across the political spectrum, containing specific n-grams or co-occurrences of (1) “metoo,” (2) “sexual misconduct,” (3) “sexual harassment,” and (4) “sexual assault” from October 2017 through February 2018. The analyses first examined whether language and attention differed across the ideological news ecology and then turned to time-series modeling of these discourses to examine what drove press coverage and structural topic modeling (STM) and term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) analysis to understand latent topics and language usage. Findings reveal that (1) left-leaning media dedicated more relative attention across all topics—#MeToo, sexual misconduct, sexual harassment, and sexual assault—relative to centrist and right-leaning media. Moreover, across the right, left, and centrist media, the language markers “misconduct,” “harassment,” and “assault” decreased over the study period, while the mentions of #MeToo movement increased during the same period; (2) stories relating to entertainment and those accusing politicians, especially those belonging to the party in power at the Federal level, seemed to be by far the strongest driver of news media attention; and (3) we further observed partisan differences in topics of news coverage and language usage.
This trend study describes changes and continuities in the stratification of usage of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp in Chile between 2009-2019—the decade that witnessed the rise of social media. Using the Youth, Media and... more
This trend study describes changes and continuities in the stratification of usage of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp in Chile between 2009-2019—the decade that witnessed the rise of social media. Using the Youth, Media and Participation Study—a probabilistic survey conducted on an annual basis among 1,000 individuals aged 18 to 29 living in the three largest urban areas in Chile (N = 10,518)—we analyze how frequency of use and type of activities conducted on social media has varied over time along socioeconomic status, gender, and age cohort. Instead of a uniform trend towards less (or greater) inequality, the results show that each platform exhibits a unique dynamic. For instance, whereas SES-based inequality in frequency of use has decreased on Facebook over time, it has remained stable on WhatsApp and increased on Twitter and Instagram. In addition, significant differences in the likelihood of conducting different activities (e.g., chatting, commenting news, sharing links) remained across groups, even on platforms such as Facebook where frequency of use has equalized over time.
How did efforts that prompted the sharing of personal experiences of sexual violence and harassment around #MeToo coalesce into calls for action across a range of institutions and communities? We argue that sharing experiences of trauma... more
How did efforts that prompted the sharing of personal experiences of sexual violence and harassment around #MeToo coalesce into calls for action across a range of institutions and communities? We argue that sharing experiences of trauma in digital spaces created a network of acknowledgment, which supported and sustained nascent #MeToo activism based on the logic of connective action. This article attempts to (a) understand the temporal dynamics of these different discourses within the #MeToo movement on Twitter, (b) reveal the accounts animating these discourses and the most prominent themes within them, and (c) model the overtime relationship between these discourses and their relationship to major news event and #MeToo revelations. To do so, we analyze a 1% sample of tweets from the 5-month period following the revelations about Harvey Weinstein in early October 2017, employing a range of computational approaches, including part-of-speech tagging, dependency analysis, hashtags extraction, and retweet network analysis—to identify key discourses, actors, and themes. We then conduct time series analysis to identify the relationship between the two discourses and predict how the ebbs and flows of each discourse are shaped by news events.
Given the rapid rise of mobile-only users, we investigated the digital inclusion process through smartphones. By using Chile as a case study, a country that has strongly promoted mobile connections to address internet access gaps, we... more
Given the rapid rise of mobile-only users, we investigated the digital inclusion process through smartphones. By using Chile as a case study, a country that has strongly promoted mobile connections to address internet access gaps, we compared mobile-only and computer users in different dimensions of the digital inclusion process, including digital skills and differentiated uses of the web. By relying on a face-to-face national representative survey, the results showed that smartphones represent an opportunity to access the internet for those who traditionally lag behind. However mobile-only use does not necessarily lead to a more complete digital inclusion process because it was related to lower levels of skills and less diverse types of uses of the web compared to those people who also use the computer. Also, skills partially mediated the association between access device and types of uses of the web, which suggests that the differences by access device partly occur because people have greater chances to develop skills when accessing the web through computers.
Mobile-only use in developing countries is increasing as public policies pursue universal Internet access through mobile connections and smartphones to tackle digital inequality. Therefore, it is relevant to understand what mobile phones... more
Mobile-only use in developing countries is increasing as public policies pursue universal Internet access through mobile connections and smartphones to tackle digital inequality. Therefore, it is relevant to understand what mobile phones mean for people, how they engage with them, and new forms of digital inequality that may emerge. Thus, from a digital inclusion and technology affordances perspective, this article reflects on the perceptions and practices among mobile-only and hybrid users (mobile and PC). The study, conducted in Chile, a country with high levels of mobile connectivity, relied on 30 in-depth interviews and digital tours, an ethnographic strategy to access participants’ smartphone customization and usage. Findings indicate that mobile-only users perceived no differences from that of using computers, developed practices to circumvent their lack of skills, and perceived no need to include a more complex device, such as a computer. Hybrid users, on the other hand, evaluated their gateway access according to their goals and contexts and were more critical of being constantly online and of the role of the Internet in their everyday lives.
This research brings together digital inequality scholars from across the Americas and Caribbean to examine efforts to tackle digital inequality in Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the United States, and Canada. As the... more
This research brings together digital inequality scholars from across the Americas and Caribbean to examine efforts to tackle digital inequality in Uruguay, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, the United States, and Canada. As the case studies show, governmental policy has an important role to play in reducing digital disparities, particularly for potential users in rural or remote areas, as well as populations with great economic disparities. We find that public policy can effectively reduce access gaps when it combines the trifecta of network, device, and skill provision, especially through educational institutions. We also note, that urban populations have benefitted from digital inclusion strategies to a greater degree. This underscores that, no matter the national context, rural-urban digital inequality (and often associated economic inequality) is resistant to change. Even when access is provided, potential users may not find it affordable, lack skills, and/or see no benefit in adoption. We see the greatest potential for future digital inclusion in two related approaches: 1) initiatives that connect with hard-to-reach, remote, and rural communities outside urban cores and 2) initiatives that learn from communities about how best to provide digital resources while respecting their diversely situated contexts, while meeting social, economic and political needs.
Objectives. To study changes in food advertising on television after Chile's food marketing restriction was implemented in June 2016.Methods. Food advertisements shown between 6 am and 12 am on the 4 primary broadcast and 4 cable channels... more
Objectives. To study changes in food advertising on television after Chile's food marketing restriction was implemented in June 2016.Methods. Food advertisements shown between 6 am and 12 am on the 4 primary broadcast and 4 cable channels with the largest Chilean youth audiences during 2 random weeks in April and May 2016 and 2017 were analyzed for product nutrition and child-directed marketing.Results. The percentage of ads for foods high in energy, saturated fats, sugars, or sodium (HEFSS) decreased from 41.9% before the regulation to 14.8% after the regulation (P < .001). This decrease occurred in programs intended for children (from 49.7% to 12.7%; P < .001) as well as general audiences (from 38.5% to 15.7%; P < .001). The largest declines were seen for sodas, desserts, breakfast cereals and industrialized fruit- and vegetable-flavored drinks. Fewer HEFSS ads featured child-directed content (a decrease from 44.0% to 12.0%; P < .001), and the remaining child-directed HEFSS ads primarily aired on internationally owned cable channels.Conclusions. The significant postregulation decrease in the prevalence of HEFSS television ads suggests that children in Chile are now less exposed to unhealthy food advertising. However, television originating from national and international outlets should still be monitored for compliance.
Objective: To evaluate the effects of Chile’s 2016 regulation restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, saturated fats, sodium, and sugars on reducing children’s exposure to “high-in” television food advertising.... more
Objective:
To evaluate the effects of Chile’s 2016 regulation restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, saturated fats, sodium, and sugars on reducing children’s exposure to “high-in” television food advertising.
Design:
Television use by preschoolers and adolescents was assessed via surveys in the months prior to implementation and a year after implementation. Hours and channels of television use was linked with the amount of high-in food advertising observed in corresponding content analyses of food advertisements from popular broadcast and cable channels to estimate changes in exposure to food ads from these channels.
Setting:
Middle-lower and lower-income neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile.
Participants:
879 preschoolers (mothers reporting) and 753 adolescents (self-reporting).
Results:
Preschoolers’ and adolescents’ exposure to high-in food advertising in total decreased significantly by an average of 44% and 58%, respectively. Exposure to high-in food advertising with child-directed appeals, such as cartoon characters, decreased by 35% and 52% for preschoolers and adolescents, respectively. Decreases were more pronounced for children who viewed more television. Products high in sugars were the most prevalent among the high-in advertisements seen by children after implementation.
Conclusions:
Following Chile’s 2016 child-directed marketing regulation, children’s exposure to high-in food advertising on popular broadcast and cable television decreased significantly but was not eliminated from their viewing. Later stages of the regulation are expected to eliminate the majority of children’s exposure to high-in food advertising from television.
To evaluate the effects of Chile’s 2016 regulation restricting child-directed marketing of products high in energy, saturated fats, sodium, and sugars on reducing children’s exposure to “high-in” television food advertising.
Design:
Television use by preschoolers and adolescents was assessed via surveys in the months prior to implementation and a year after implementation. Hours and channels of television use was linked with the amount of high-in food advertising observed in corresponding content analyses of food advertisements from popular broadcast and cable channels to estimate changes in exposure to food ads from these channels.
Setting:
Middle-lower and lower-income neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile.
Participants:
879 preschoolers (mothers reporting) and 753 adolescents (self-reporting).
Results:
Preschoolers’ and adolescents’ exposure to high-in food advertising in total decreased significantly by an average of 44% and 58%, respectively. Exposure to high-in food advertising with child-directed appeals, such as cartoon characters, decreased by 35% and 52% for preschoolers and adolescents, respectively. Decreases were more pronounced for children who viewed more television. Products high in sugars were the most prevalent among the high-in advertisements seen by children after implementation.
Conclusions:
Following Chile’s 2016 child-directed marketing regulation, children’s exposure to high-in food advertising on popular broadcast and cable television decreased significantly but was not eliminated from their viewing. Later stages of the regulation are expected to eliminate the majority of children’s exposure to high-in food advertising from television.
Background In line with calls for action from international health organizations, Chile implemented in June 2016 a set of regulations to tackle the obesity epidemic. The new regulation includes the mandatory use of front-of-package... more
Background
In line with calls for action from international health organizations, Chile implemented in June 2016 a set of regulations to tackle the obesity epidemic. The new regulation includes the mandatory use of front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods/beverages high in energy, sugars, saturated fats and sodium. Additionally, such foods cannot be sold nor offered in daycares/schools and cannot be promoted to children under 14yo. The law is targeted to children; thus, this study examined mothers’ understanding, perceptions, and behaviors associated with the regulation one year after its implementation, using a qualitative approach.
Methods
Nine focus groups of mothers (7–10 people each) of children (2-14yo) were conducted in July 2017 in Santiago-Chile. They were stratified by socioeconomic status (SES) and children’s age. Macrocodes were developed by three researchers, combining an iterative process of deductive and inductive thematic analyses. Quotations representing each category were selected.
Results
Mothers understood the new regulation as a policy to fight child obesity and were aware that products with more labels were less healthy than products with fewer labels. Attention and use of labels in the buying decision-making process ranged from participants who did not pay attention to others who relied on them as a quick shortcut (mostly from middle and upper-SES); many mothers indicated changing their purchase habits only when buying new products. Mothers declared that young children accepted school environment changes while teens/preteens resisted them more. Many mothers agreed that schools have become key promoters of food behavioral change. Mothers were less aware about the food marketing regulations. Mothers declared that they perceived that the regulation was changing the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward healthier eating patterns.
Conclusion
After the first year of implementation, the regulation was well known by mothers of diverse SES and different children ages. The degree of use of warning labels was heterogeneous among participants, but most of them agreed that their children, particularly the youngest have positive attitudes toward the regulation and have become promoters of change in their families. Many mothers also expressed that they perceived an important shift toward healthier eating, which may lead to a change in eating social norms. This information contributes to better understand how regulatory actions may influence people’s consumer behaviors.
In line with calls for action from international health organizations, Chile implemented in June 2016 a set of regulations to tackle the obesity epidemic. The new regulation includes the mandatory use of front-of-package warning labels on packaged foods/beverages high in energy, sugars, saturated fats and sodium. Additionally, such foods cannot be sold nor offered in daycares/schools and cannot be promoted to children under 14yo. The law is targeted to children; thus, this study examined mothers’ understanding, perceptions, and behaviors associated with the regulation one year after its implementation, using a qualitative approach.
Methods
Nine focus groups of mothers (7–10 people each) of children (2-14yo) were conducted in July 2017 in Santiago-Chile. They were stratified by socioeconomic status (SES) and children’s age. Macrocodes were developed by three researchers, combining an iterative process of deductive and inductive thematic analyses. Quotations representing each category were selected.
Results
Mothers understood the new regulation as a policy to fight child obesity and were aware that products with more labels were less healthy than products with fewer labels. Attention and use of labels in the buying decision-making process ranged from participants who did not pay attention to others who relied on them as a quick shortcut (mostly from middle and upper-SES); many mothers indicated changing their purchase habits only when buying new products. Mothers declared that young children accepted school environment changes while teens/preteens resisted them more. Many mothers agreed that schools have become key promoters of food behavioral change. Mothers were less aware about the food marketing regulations. Mothers declared that they perceived that the regulation was changing the perceptions, attitudes and behaviors toward healthier eating patterns.
Conclusion
After the first year of implementation, the regulation was well known by mothers of diverse SES and different children ages. The degree of use of warning labels was heterogeneous among participants, but most of them agreed that their children, particularly the youngest have positive attitudes toward the regulation and have become promoters of change in their families. Many mothers also expressed that they perceived an important shift toward healthier eating, which may lead to a change in eating social norms. This information contributes to better understand how regulatory actions may influence people’s consumer behaviors.
Food marketing has been identified as a contributing factor in childhood obesity, prompting global health organizations to recommend restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children. Chile has responded to this recommendation with a... more
Food marketing has been identified as a contributing factor in childhood obesity, prompting global health organizations to recommend restrictions on unhealthy food marketing to children. Chile has responded to this recommendation with a restriction on child-directed marketing for products that exceed certain regulation-defined thresholds in sugars, saturated fats, sodium, or calories. Child-directed strategies are allowed for products that do not exceed these thresholds. To evaluate changes in marketing due to this restriction, we examined differences in the use of child-directed strategies on breakfast cereal packages that exceeded the defined thresholds vs. those that did not exceed the thresholds before (n = 168) and after (n = 153) the restriction was implemented. Photographs of cereal packages were taken from top supermarket chains in Santiago. Photographed cereals were classified as "high-in" if they exceeded any nutrient threshold described in the regulation. We found that the percentage of all cereal packages using child-directed strategies before implementation (36%) was significantly lower after implementation (21%), p < 0.05. This overall decrease is due to the decrease we found in the percentage of "high-in" cereals using child-directed strategies after implementation (43% before implementation, 15% after implementation), p < 0.05. In contrast, a greater percentage of packages that did not qualify as "high-in" used child-directed strategies after implementation (30%) compared with before implementation (8%), p < 0.05. The results suggest that the Chilean food marketing regulation can be effective at reducing the use of child-directed marketing for unhealthy food products.
Restricting children's exposures to marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages is a global obesity prevention priority. Monitoring marketing exposures supports informed policymaking. This study presents a global overview of children's... more
Restricting children's exposures to marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages is a global obesity prevention priority. Monitoring marketing exposures supports informed policymaking. This study presents a global overview of children's television advertising exposure to healthy and unhealthy products. Twenty-two countries contributed data, captured between 2008 and 2017. Advertisements were coded for the nature of foods and beverages, using the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) Europe Nutrient Profile Model (should be permitted/not-permitted to be advertised). Peak viewing times were defined as the top five hour timeslots for children. On average, there were four times more advertisements for foods/beverages that should not be permitted than for permitted foods/beverages. The frequency of food/beverages advertisements that should not be permitted per hour was higher during peak viewing times compared with other times (P < 0.001). During peak viewing times, food and beverage advertisements that should not be permitted were higher in countries with industry self-regulatory programmes for responsible advertising compared with countries with no policies. Globally, children are exposed to a large volume of television advertisements for unhealthy foods and beverages, despite the implementation of food industry programmes. Governments should enact regulation to protect children from television advertising of unhealthy products that undermine their health.
Using mixed methods that triangulated survey data with interviews and focus groups, this study explores the complexities of the process of technology transmission from children to parents in vulnerable contexts, such as rural communities... more
Using mixed methods that triangulated survey data with interviews and focus groups, this study explores the complexities of the process of technology transmission from children to parents in vulnerable contexts, such as rural communities in Chile. The findings suggest that among Internet users, about one-fourth learned from their children and a similar percentage relied on them to perform different tasks. Both the quantitative and qualitative results suggest that in many families, both processes are closely intertwined and are more likely to occur among people of a similar profile—women, older people, and less educated people. In addition, they are significantly associated with parents’ improved digital skills, but not with more online activities.
Objective: In the light of Chile's comprehensive new restriction on unhealthy food marketing, we analyse food advertising on Chilean television prior to the first and final phases of implementation of the restriction. Design: Content... more
Objective: In the light of Chile's comprehensive new restriction on unhealthy food marketing, we analyse food advertising on Chilean television prior to the first and final phases of implementation of the restriction.
Design: Content analysis of marketing strategies of 6976 advertisements, based on products' nutritional quality. Statistical analysis of total and child audience reached using television ratings data.
Setting: Advertising from television aired between 06.00 and 00.00 hours during two random composite weeks across April-May 2016 from the four broadcast and four cable channels with the largest youth audiences.
Results: Food ads represented 16 % of all advertising; 34 % of food ads featured a product high in energy, saturated fats, sugars and/or salt (HEFSS), as defined by the initial regulation. HEFSS ads were seen by more children and contained more child-directed marketing strategies than ads without HEFSS foods. If HEFSS advertising was restricted only in programmes where 20 % are children aged 4-12 years, 31 % of children's and 8 % of the general audience's HEFSS advertising exposure would be reduced. The newest 06.00-22.00 hours restriction captures 80 % of all audience exposure.
Conclusions: HEFSS advertising was seen by a large proportion of children before Chile's regulation. Chile's first implementation based on audience composition should reduce a third of this exposure and its second restriction across the television day should eliminate most of the exposure. The current study is a crucial first step in evaluating how Chile's regulation efforts will impact children's diets and obesity prevalence.
Design: Content analysis of marketing strategies of 6976 advertisements, based on products' nutritional quality. Statistical analysis of total and child audience reached using television ratings data.
Setting: Advertising from television aired between 06.00 and 00.00 hours during two random composite weeks across April-May 2016 from the four broadcast and four cable channels with the largest youth audiences.
Results: Food ads represented 16 % of all advertising; 34 % of food ads featured a product high in energy, saturated fats, sugars and/or salt (HEFSS), as defined by the initial regulation. HEFSS ads were seen by more children and contained more child-directed marketing strategies than ads without HEFSS foods. If HEFSS advertising was restricted only in programmes where 20 % are children aged 4-12 years, 31 % of children's and 8 % of the general audience's HEFSS advertising exposure would be reduced. The newest 06.00-22.00 hours restriction captures 80 % of all audience exposure.
Conclusions: HEFSS advertising was seen by a large proportion of children before Chile's regulation. Chile's first implementation based on audience composition should reduce a third of this exposure and its second restriction across the television day should eliminate most of the exposure. The current study is a crucial first step in evaluating how Chile's regulation efforts will impact children's diets and obesity prevalence.
Based on the theoretical concepts of social networks and technology affordances, this article argues that different social media platforms influence political participation through unique, yet complementary, routes. More specifically, it... more
Based on the theoretical concepts of social networks and technology affordances, this article argues that different social media platforms influence political participation through unique, yet complementary, routes. More specifically, it proposes that Facebook and Twitter are conducive to protest behavior through two distinct mechanisms: whereas the influence of Facebook use is more effective through communication with strong-tie networks, the impact of Twitter use is more effective through communication with weak-tie networks. To test these expectations, we analyze data from a cross-sectional, face-to-face survey on a representative sample of Chilean youths conducted in 2014. Findings in the study lend empirical support for these hypotheses. Consequently, while different social media (in this case, Facebook and Twitter) are similar in their participatory effects, the paths through which this influence occurs are distinct, a finding that highlights the importance of studying political behavior across different media platforms.
Background Front-of package (FoP) nutrition labels are an option to guide consumer’s decision at the point of food purchase. Chile was the first country worldwide to implement a FoP warning label and thereafter several countries have... more
Background
Front-of package (FoP) nutrition labels are an option to guide consumer’s decision at the point of food purchase. Chile was the first country worldwide to implement a FoP warning label and thereafter several countries have followed this model. The objective of this study is to describe the process of development of the Chilean FoP warning label.
Methods
A stepwise study was conducted including literature review, qualitative phase (lay audience & expert group meetings) and quantitative phase in women/adolescents from low-middle-socioeconomic status neighborhoods, Santiago, Chile (2 sub-studies, using point-of-sale questionnaires). Outcomes were prototype visualization, ease of understanding, and ability to modify purchase behavior.
Results
The literature review and qualitative phase provided information on general text (e.g. short wording) and design characteristics (e.g. use of a logo, use of red or black colors); based on these characteristics 15 prototypes were created and quantitatively tested. In the first survey, a black-&-white stop sign and a black-&-white hand were preselected; in the second survey, the stop sign stating ‘Excess of <nutrient>’ had significantly better performance than the hand in terms of visualization, intention to purchase, and ability to modify intended purchase. Due to legal reasons the “excess of” was replaced by “high-in” in the final implementation of the law.
Conclusions
A simple black-&-white stop sign warning label was the best option to flag pre-packaged foods with an excess of energy or nutrients of concern for non-communicable diseases; this FoP warning label was implemented in Chile in June 2016 as part of the Chilean Food Labeling and Marketing Law.
Front-of package (FoP) nutrition labels are an option to guide consumer’s decision at the point of food purchase. Chile was the first country worldwide to implement a FoP warning label and thereafter several countries have followed this model. The objective of this study is to describe the process of development of the Chilean FoP warning label.
Methods
A stepwise study was conducted including literature review, qualitative phase (lay audience & expert group meetings) and quantitative phase in women/adolescents from low-middle-socioeconomic status neighborhoods, Santiago, Chile (2 sub-studies, using point-of-sale questionnaires). Outcomes were prototype visualization, ease of understanding, and ability to modify purchase behavior.
Results
The literature review and qualitative phase provided information on general text (e.g. short wording) and design characteristics (e.g. use of a logo, use of red or black colors); based on these characteristics 15 prototypes were created and quantitatively tested. In the first survey, a black-&-white stop sign and a black-&-white hand were preselected; in the second survey, the stop sign stating ‘Excess of <nutrient>’ had significantly better performance than the hand in terms of visualization, intention to purchase, and ability to modify intended purchase. Due to legal reasons the “excess of” was replaced by “high-in” in the final implementation of the law.
Conclusions
A simple black-&-white stop sign warning label was the best option to flag pre-packaged foods with an excess of energy or nutrients of concern for non-communicable diseases; this FoP warning label was implemented in Chile in June 2016 as part of the Chilean Food Labeling and Marketing Law.
While public policy worldwide has focused on providing digital connectivity infrastructure in remote areas, there remain people who are digitally excluded. Hence, it is important to explore why people, despite having access to a digital... more
While public policy worldwide has focused on providing digital connectivity infrastructure in remote areas, there remain people who are digitally excluded. Hence, it is important to explore why people, despite having access to a digital connection, do not go online. As the third part of a three-year project on digital inclusion in isolated communities in Chile, this study draws on findings from focus groups conducted with non-Internet users who live in three remotes but digitally connected villages, to unravel the elements associated with their decision to remain digitally excluded. The main findings indicate that strong ties within the community shelter their sense of isolation providing a feeling of closeness, whereas the internet is perceived as disruptive. In addition, negative attitudes about the Internet emerge from the discussions: the internet is associated with addiction and isolation. Finally, the absence of digital skills makes smartphones and computers unknown entities, a black box people feel unable to or overwhelmed at the thought of learning how to use. However, many are facing a hard choice due to their need to remain in contact with those outside the community as well as promote and develop their small business ventures. Therefore, there is a cultural construction of the internet as a required form of progress that nonetheless does more harm than good to a tight-knit community.
Este estudio explora las prácticas de apropiación de distintos medios de comunicación por parte de las audiencias y las percepciones de representación a través de sus discursos. A través de una metodología cualitativa -que combinó el... more
Este estudio explora las prácticas de apropiación de distintos medios de
comunicación por parte de las audiencias y las percepciones de representación a través de sus discursos. A través de una metodología cualitativa -que combinó el registro de diarios de vida con entrevistas en profundidad (N= 36)- este estudio reveló una brecha centro-periferia: las
audiencias definen de forma diferente lo “local” según estén en el centro (Santiago) o en la periferia (regiones). A su vez, las audiencias de la periferia se sienten poco representadas y cubiertas de una manera estereotípica por los medios nacionales, los cuales se concentran en las audiencias del centro.
comunicación por parte de las audiencias y las percepciones de representación a través de sus discursos. A través de una metodología cualitativa -que combinó el registro de diarios de vida con entrevistas en profundidad (N= 36)- este estudio reveló una brecha centro-periferia: las
audiencias definen de forma diferente lo “local” según estén en el centro (Santiago) o en la periferia (regiones). A su vez, las audiencias de la periferia se sienten poco representadas y cubiertas de una manera estereotípica por los medios nacionales, los cuales se concentran en las audiencias del centro.
A B S T R A C T Isolated rural communities face specific challenges associated with their geographical context in the digital inclusion process. Thus, based on a relational and resource-based model as well as diffusion research, this... more
A B S T R A C T Isolated rural communities face specific challenges associated with their geographical context in the digital inclusion process. Thus, based on a relational and resource-based model as well as diffusion research, this study explored personal, positional factors, as well as material and social resources of household Internet connection in remote communities that received infrastructure access for the first time between 2010 and 2011 in Chile. A face-to-face representative survey conducted in 22 communities revealed that, among personal variables, age and innovative personality played a role in household Internet adoption. Material resources such as income and transport connectivity were also relevant. However, social resources were among the most significant predictors. That is, the presence of children in the household and larger social networks were associated with greater chances of Internet connection.
This study explored the interplay between contextual and individual factors related to Internet adoption in isolated rural communities. By investigating 10 remote villages throughout Chile that received Internet access infrastructure in... more
This study explored the interplay between contextual and individual factors related to Internet adoption in isolated rural communities. By investigating 10 remote villages throughout Chile that received Internet access infrastructure in 2010–2011, we identified 3 areas in which contextual and individual factors are intertwined. First, the geographical isolation shaped people's personality and attitudes towards new experiences, including digital technologies. Second, the communities' aging population also represented a strong challenge because they lack young people, a relevant technology socialization agent. Finally, jobs and economic activities are related to people's (lack of) motivations and needs towards digital technologies. When the Internet has reached the vast majority of the population, isolated communities confront specific challenges that we need to consider in policy-making decisions.
Media diaries of 36 Chilean adults were being collected as two disasters unfolded: an earthquake on the northern coast and 11 days later a massive fire in Valparaíso. From an audience reception theoretical approach, these events provide a... more
Media diaries of 36 Chilean adults were being collected as two disasters unfolded: an earthquake on the northern coast and 11 days later a massive fire in Valparaíso. From an audience reception theoretical approach, these events provide a unique opportunity to compare people's engagement with media and responses to two mediated disasters. By complementing textual and computerized linguistic analyses, this study reveals that audiences' responses differ by type of disaster and proximity. Where earthquakes abound, people express more rational analyses of media quake coverage and more emotional responses to the fire. Also, proximity played an expected role with the fire but not the quake, suggesting that audiences' engagement with media events depends on the context and the type of disaster.
This study examines to what extent children influence their parents' acquisition of new technologies in a country with diverse levels of technology penetration, such as Chile. It also investigates the factors that play a role in the... more
This study examines to what extent children influence their parents' acquisition of new technologies in a country with diverse levels of technology penetration, such as Chile. It also investigates the factors that play a role in the influence process, including children's persuasive strategies (argumentative vs. non-argumentative) and parents' attitudes toward technology (perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness). Using a parent-child survey and dyadic analyses , the results suggest that youths influence their parents' acquisition of all technologies under study, particularly the Internet. Also, argumentative strategies have a greater influence than non-argumentative strategies. Finally, par-ents' perceived usefulness played a more important role than perceived ease of use in the influence process.
The Internet has allowed digital media users to be more than just consumers of political information, allowing the chance to create their own online political content. Thus, users can now create personal blogs, post comments on others’... more
The Internet has allowed digital media users to be more than just consumers of political information, allowing the chance to create their own online political content. Thus, users can now create personal blogs, post comments on others’ blogs, contribute with citizen news, and upload their videos about current events and public affairs. Drawing from sociological and psychological frameworks, this study explores the socio-demographic and psychological characteristics of online political content creators and the effects of this behavior for the political and civic spheres. A survey of U.S. adults reveals that income and age are negatively correlated with political content creation, as well as emotional stability and life satisfaction, while extraversion was
positively related. Further, the creation of political content was a positive predictor of political participation and civic engagement, even after controlling for demographics, psychological factors, media use and trust, suggesting a positive linkage between the production of online political content and both political and civic
participatory practices.
positively related. Further, the creation of political content was a positive predictor of political participation and civic engagement, even after controlling for demographics, psychological factors, media use and trust, suggesting a positive linkage between the production of online political content and both political and civic
participatory practices.
In the past 2 decades, cable television and the Internet have greatly increased the availability of media content. The phenomenon has reinvigorated a longstanding debate about the effects of this media landscape, as people selectively get... more
In the past 2 decades, cable television and the Internet have greatly increased the availability of media content. The phenomenon has reinvigorated a longstanding debate about the effects of this media landscape, as people selectively get exposed to specific content. Based on U.S. national survey data,
this article advances research in this area by analyzing the interplay between individuals’ ideological predispositions, their selective exposure to cable news, and the relationship between selective exposure and their attitudes toward an issue with key policy-making implications: Mexican immigration. Results indicate conservative Republicans are more likely to watch FOX News, which is associatedwith negative perceptions of Mexican immigrants and higher support for restrictive immigration policies. Findings also suggest that liberals who get exposed to FOX News also show less support for Mexican immigration.
this article advances research in this area by analyzing the interplay between individuals’ ideological predispositions, their selective exposure to cable news, and the relationship between selective exposure and their attitudes toward an issue with key policy-making implications: Mexican immigration. Results indicate conservative Republicans are more likely to watch FOX News, which is associatedwith negative perceptions of Mexican immigrants and higher support for restrictive immigration policies. Findings also suggest that liberals who get exposed to FOX News also show less support for Mexican immigration.
In the increasingly user-generated Web, users’ personality traits may be crucial factors leading them to engage in this participatory media. The literature suggests factors such as extroversion, emotional stability and openness to... more
In the increasingly user-generated Web, users’ personality traits may be crucial factors leading them to engage in this participatory media. The literature suggests factors such as extroversion, emotional stability and openness to experience are related to uses of social applications on the Internet. Using a national sample of US adults, this study investigated the relationship between these three dimensions of the Big Five model and social media use (defined as use of social networking sites and instant messages). It also examined whether gender and age played a role in that dynamic. Results revealed that while extraversion and openness to experiences were positively related to social media use, emotional stability was a negative predictor, controlling for socio-demographics and life satisfaction. These findings differed by gender and age. While extraverted men and women were both likely to be more frequent users of social media
tools, only the men with greater degrees of emotional instability were more regular users. The relationship between extraversion and social media use was particularly important among the young adult cohort. Conversely, being open to new experiences emerged as an important personality predictor of social media use for the more mature segment of the sample.
tools, only the men with greater degrees of emotional instability were more regular users. The relationship between extraversion and social media use was particularly important among the young adult cohort. Conversely, being open to new experiences emerged as an important personality predictor of social media use for the more mature segment of the sample.
This study explored factors that predict online content creation among college students. A Web-based survey revealed that there are differences by gender, race, and age even among this wired group. Drawing from literature on technology... more
This study explored factors that predict online content creation among college students.
A Web-based survey revealed that there are differences by gender, race, and age even among this wired group. Drawing from literature on technology adoption, the digital
divide, and self-determination theory, this study found that psychological factors–perceived competence and both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations–predict content creation. Among
the experience variables, having a computer in the students’ own room is associated with content creation when controlling for all other factors. The gender divide disappears when
experience, skills, perceived competence, and intrinsic motivation are considered. Finally, a new racial gap emerged; whites are less likely than minorities to participate in the Web
even after controlling for all other variables.
A Web-based survey revealed that there are differences by gender, race, and age even among this wired group. Drawing from literature on technology adoption, the digital
divide, and self-determination theory, this study found that psychological factors–perceived competence and both extrinsic and intrinsic motivations–predict content creation. Among
the experience variables, having a computer in the students’ own room is associated with content creation when controlling for all other factors. The gender divide disappears when
experience, skills, perceived competence, and intrinsic motivation are considered. Finally, a new racial gap emerged; whites are less likely than minorities to participate in the Web
even after controlling for all other variables.
This study explored to what extent female journalists affect news content when holding positions of power, reaching a critical mass in the newsroom, and covering an issue that appeals to them. Using a most similar media system design,... more
This study explored to what extent female journalists affect news content when holding positions of power, reaching a critical mass in the newsroom, and covering an issue that appeals to them. Using a most similar media system design, this study examined how a male-dominated news organization covered the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine compared to a more gender-balanced organization in terms of news executives (power) and reporters (critical mass). It also explored whether the content produced by female reporters from both organizations differed. The results showed that the more gender-balanced organization covered the vaccine more frequently, more prominently, and used more diverse themes than its counterpart. Differences in sourcing and themes were also found at the individual level.
The user-generated Web provides new tools for participation by creating content. Drawing from uses and gratifications and social identity gratifications paradigms, we investigated quantitatively the differentiated uses of participatory... more
The user-generated Web provides new tools for participation by creating content. Drawing from uses and gratifications and social identity gratifications paradigms, we investigated quantitatively the differentiated uses of participatory technologies among diverse racial and ethnic groups of college students. Using qualitative techniques, we also explored the different discourses and meanings these social groups attach to these tools. A survey showed that among online users minority groups–African Americans, Latinos, and Asians—tend to create online content more frequently than white students. Four focus groups with different racial and ethnic groups revealed that the meanings attached to these participatory tools differ. Although three main principles emerged as organizing discourses -connecting, enacting the self, and struggling-, these themes were framed differently. For instance, while social connection with friends and family was mentioned across all groups, connecting with niche communities emerged among minorities; they valued these tools as an opportunity to connect with communities to which they share identities and their voices are relevant. We also found that although these tools open the opportunity of representing the self for everyone, different groups framed this possibility differently. While African Americans highlighted the idea of self-expression, that is, expressing their inner thoughts and culture to others, white students focused more prominently on instrumental reasons such as promoting their work. Finally, all groups, except African Americans, expressed their struggles with the problems that emerge when nobody controls the creation of content such as hostile or “immature” interactions.
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It is argued that the media’s tendency to stereotype minority groups is due, in part, to a weak identification with them. This study compared the frames used by the Miami Herald, an English-language newspaper targeted to general... more
It is argued that the media’s tendency to stereotype minority groups is due, in part, to a weak identification with them. This study compared the frames used by the Miami Herald, an English-language newspaper targeted to general audiences, and El Nuevo Herald, its Spanish-language counterpart targeted to Hispanics, to explore whether the stronger media identification with the audience makes a difference in the type of frames used to depict Latinas. Using framing as a theoretical framework, this investigation found that the MH emphasized the individual achievements of successful women and described them as a new profitable market. ENH highlighted the family sacrifices of successful females and depicted them as family-devoted and sensual. As a result, the greater cultural identification with the audience may avoid manifest negative stereotypes but it embraces pan-ethnic stereotypes that, eventually, may become harmful because they contribute to the homogenization and racialization of a group such as Latinas.
Because more women are running - and succeeding - in presidential races all over the world, it is important to analyze the way they are portrayed by the news media. Using Chile as a case study and agenda setting as a theoretical... more
Because more women are running - and succeeding - in presidential races all over the world, it is important to analyze the way they are portrayed by the news media. Using Chile as a case study and agenda setting as a theoretical framework, the authors examined differences in press coverage of this country's first woman president, Michelle Bachelet, and her male contenders in the 2005/6 elections and compared them to public opinion. As expected, the press covered the candidates' personal attributes and issue positions following traditional gender stereotypes. However, some gender-based differences in news coverage actually boosted the image of Michelle Bachelet. The authors suggest that the media may have influenced public opinion toward the candidates, and discuss the implications of these findings for future research
This study investigated experimentally whether the social class of people who appear in news stories influences journalists’ ethical reasoning in Chile. Based on schema, social identity and moral development theories, it found that... more
This study investigated experimentally whether the social class of people who appear in news stories influences journalists’ ethical reasoning in Chile. Based on schema, social identity and moral development theories, it found that journalists applied lower levels of ethical reasoning when faced with an ethical dilemma associated with the poor, although this effect was moderated by participants’ involvement in the story. This investigation also showed that these stereotypes act subconsciously. Finally, psychological mechanisms—such as involvement, mental elaboration about stories’ subjects, and identification with them—influence participants’ ethical thinking.
Using the hierarchies-of-influence model and social identity theory as theoretical frameworks, this study explored whether Latino reporters cover differently their own community compared to their non-Latino peers. A content analysis of... more
Using the hierarchies-of-influence model and social identity theory as theoretical frameworks, this study explored whether Latino reporters cover differently their own community compared to their non-Latino peers. A content analysis of four large U.S. English-language newspapers revealed that Latino reporters used more Latino sources than non-Latino reporters when stories contained fewer sources. Also, reporters from both groups tended to write stories in a non- negative tone.