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Grant support

This study is the result of an R&D&I Research Project entitled "Politainment in the face of media fragmentation: disintermediation, engagement and polarization" (PID2020-114193RB-I00) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Inno-vation; and "IBERIFIER. Iberian Media Research & Fact-Checking" (2020-EU-IA-0252) funded by the European Commission.

Analysis of institutional authors

Navarro-Sierra, NuriaAuthorHerranz-Rubio, CarolinaAuthor

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January 17, 2024
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The app ecosystem in the 2020 US election: information or politainment

Publicated to:Comunicacion Y Sociedad. 19 (19): e8191- - 2022-01-01 19(19), DOI: 10.32870/cys.v2022.8191

Authors: Gil-Torres, Alicia; Navarro-Sierra, Nuria; San Jose-De La Rosa, Cristina; Herranz-Rubio, Carolina

Affiliations

Rey Juan Carlos Univ, Mostoles, Spain - Author
Univ Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain - Author

Abstract

This article analyzes the contribution of mobile device applications to political discourse in the US presidential election between Joe Biden and Donald Trump in 2020. The sample consisted of 101 applications (apps) and the analysis was based on a qualitative methodology that examined the popularity and discourse features of these apps. The results reflect a wide range of developments that oscillate between commercial interest and a form of blurred political engagement located somewhere across entertainment, parody and virality.

Keywords

Election campaignsMobile applicationsPolitainmentUnidos.United statesUnited states.

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Comunicacion Y Sociedad due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency Scopus (SJR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2022, it was in position , thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Cultural Studies. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2025-07-06:

  • Google Scholar: 5
  • WoS: 3
  • Scopus: 3

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-07-06:

  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 24 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

    Leadership analysis of institutional authors

    There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: Last Author (Herranz Rubio, Carolina).