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Curators of digital counterpublics: Mapping alternative news environments in Sweden and Denmark Cover

Curators of digital counterpublics: Mapping alternative news environments in Sweden and Denmark

Nordicom Review
Volume 45 (2024): Issue s1 (March 2024)
By: ,   and    
Open Access
|Mar 2024
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

TABLE 1

Number of posts and user interactions with alternative news media content, by platform

Number of posts containing alternative news media URLAverage number of user interactions per post with an alternative news media URL
Alternative news media outletCuratorMulti-plication factorAlternative news media outletCuratorMulti-plication factor
Facebook111,754352,5853.1676.23423.525.56
Twitter52,374451,6208.6215.9873.164.58
YouTube6825460.806,192.1672,113.5411.65
Telegram3,20418,6475.82115.556,143.4653.17
Vkontakte3,47013,5933.924.6725.645.49
Reddit–2,569––7.63–
4chan–193––0.63–
Gab–1,400––41.29–
Total171,484841,1534.9181.44400.324.92

[i] Comments: Based on all article URLs by 49 Danish and Swedish alternative news media shared on social media between January 2019 and March 2022.

FIGURE 1A

Influential curators and the sharing of alternative news content in Denmark

FIGURE 1B

Influential curators and the sharing of alternative news content in Sweden

TABLE 2

Digital alternative news communities in Denmark

Number of (public) accountsDominant ideological orientation of shared contentDominant content profileMain shared alternative news media domainsMain platformsMain curators
DK11,154LeftPolitical/IssuePioPio, Arbejderen, SolidaritetFacebookDiscussion groups, pages of political candidates from different left-wing parties
DK2446RightPolitical/IssueDen Korte Avis, 24nyt, 180graderFacebookPages of right-wing parties and candidates; anti-immigration discussion groups
DK3305RightPoliticalFrihedens Stemme, 24nyt, DocumentFacebook, RedditPages and groups connected to the Hard Line [Stram Kurs] party
DK438RightMedia24nytFacebook, Twitter24nyt (shadow) accounts
DK5674OtherMediaIndblik, NewSpeek, DkDox, Danmarks Frie FjernsynFacebook, RedditAlternative news media–run pages and groups; Covid-sceptic discussion groups

[i] Comments: Alternative news communities were identified through a community detection algorithm, based on the sharing of alternative news article URLs between January 2019 and March 2022. Only communities with a substantial share of domestic alternative news media URL are included.

TABLE 3

Digital alternative news communities in Sweden

Number of (public) accountsDominant ideological orientation of shared contentDominant content profileMain shared alternative news media domainsMain platformsMain curators
SE1196LeftMediaArbetaren, Flamman, Aktuellt Fokus, ProletarenTwitter, Facebook“Hyper-tweeting” pundits and journalists, groups with geopolitical focus
SE2423LeftIssueFempers, Feministisk PerspektivTwitter, FacebookAnti-racist, anti-Sweden Democrats groups and hyper-tweeters, left-wing pundits
SE3532(Anti)LeftIssueTidningen SyreFacebook, TwitterPro- and anti-climate/renewables and other environmental organisations and groups
SE4236RightPoliticalNordfront, Fria Tider, Samnytt, Nya Dagbladet, Nyheter IdagTwitter, 4chan, VKNationalist hyper-tweeters, accounts connected to Nordic Resistance Movement
SE5342RightPoliticalSamtiden, Nyheter IdagFacebook, TwitterAccounts connected to Sweden Democrats
SE658RightPoliticalSamtiden, Nyheter I dag, NB Nyhetsbyrån, Bulletin, SamhällsnyttFacebook, TwitterSweden Democrats accounts, various right-wing groups
SE7321RightMediaSvegot, Nationalisten, FriaTider, Samhällsnytt, Nya Dagbladet, Nyheter I dag, Nordfront, Nya TiderTwitter, FacebookAccounts connected to Alternative for Sweden movement; mix of anti-system and nationalist pages and groups
SE8105RightMediaDet goda Samhallet, Bulletin, Nyheter I dag, NB Nyhetsbyrån, Ledarsidorna, SamtidenTwitter, FacebookRight-wing pundits, alternative news media–run pages
SE9104RightMediaSamtiden, Ledarsidorna, Samhällsnytt, Nyheter I dag, Bulletin, Det Goda Samhallet, FriatiderFacebook, Twitteralternative news media–run pages, “anti-PC” accounts, right-wing pundits, anti–mainstream media news groups
SE10243RightMediaExakt24, NyaTider, Fria Tider, Samhällsnytt, Samtiden, NB Nyhetsbyrån, Ledarsidorna, Nyheter IdagFacebook, Twitteralternative news media–run pages, nationalist, anti-PC and anti-system interest, and “support” groups
SE11691RightMediaLedarsidorna, Bulletin, Samtiden, Nyheter I dag, NB NyhetsbyrånTwitter, FacebookVariety of comparatively moderate right-wing pundits, hyper-tweeters, and groups
SE12298OtherMediaVaken, Nya Dagbladet, Newsvoice, FriaTider, Samhällsnytt, Samtiden, Nyheter I dag, NyatiderTwitter, Facebook, TelegramAnti-system groups and hyper-tweeters, some with a nationalist or conspiratorial profile
SE13803OtherMediaEpoch Times, international alternative news mediaFacebook, GabMedia-critical, anti-systemic and “truther” groups/pages; pundits

[i] Comments: PC = “political correctness”. Alternative news communities were identified through a community detection algorithm, based on the sharing of alternative news article URLs between January 2019 and March 2022. Only communities with a substantial share of domestic alternative news media URL are included.

TABLE A1

List of identified alternative news media

CountryActorIdeology# of articlesWebsite
Denmark180GraderRight5,354https://180grader.dk/
24nytRight11,484https://24nyt.dk/
ArbejderenLeft2,956https://arbejderen.dk/
Danmarks Frie FjernsynOther276https://www.danmarksfriefjernsyn.dk
Den Korte AvisRight3,057https://denkorteavis.dk/
Dkdox.tvOther810https://dkdox.tv/
Folkets AvisRight1,242https://www.folkets.dk/
Free ObserverOther185https://freeobserver.org/
Frihedens StemmeRight955https://tv.frihedensstemme.dk/
IndblikRight3,170https://indblik.dk/
KonfrontLeft540https://konfront.dk/
KontrastRight461https://kontrast.dk/
NewSpeek.infoRight1,414https://newspeek.info/
NordfrontRight5,273https://www.nordfront.dk/
Pio PioLeft4,335https://piopio.dk/
RedoxLeft199https://redox.dk/
ResponsLeft81https://www.responsmedie.dk/
SameksistensLeft306https://www.sameksistens.com/
SolidaritetLeft1,758https://solidaritet.dk/
SwedenAktuellt FokusLeft1,342https://aktuelltfokus.se/
ArbetarenLeft3,364https://www.arbetaren.se/
BulletinRight2,464https://bulletin.nu/
Det Gode SamhalletRight9,705https://detgodasamhallet.com/
Direkt AktionLeft21https://direktaktion.nu
Epoch Times SwedenOther8,695https://epochtimes.se/
Exakt24Right1,109https://exakt24.se/
Feministisk PerspektivLeft1,069https://feministisktperspektiv.se/
FlammanLeft1,255http://flamman.se/
FolkungenRight193https://folkungen.se/
Fria SidorRight6http://friasidor.is/
Fria TiderRight3,549https://www.friatider.se/
LedarsidornaRight3,750https://ledarsidorna.se/
NationalistenRight132https://www.nationalisten.se/
News VoiceOther3,918https://newsvoice.se/
NordfrontRight1,135https://nordfront.se/
Nya DagbladetOther3,779https://nyadagbladet.se/
Nya TiderRight2,092https://www.nyatider.nu/
Nyheter IdagRight5,649https://nyheteridag.se/
NB NyhetsbyrånRight4,542https://nyhetsbyran.org/
ProletarenLeft2,208http://proletaren.se/
Radio SvegotRight4,129https://www.svegot.se/
RiksRight1,540https://riks.se/
SamhällsnytRight10,279https://samnytt.se/
SamtidenRight3,669https://samtiden.nu/
SyreLeft5,891http://tidningensyre.se/
VakenOther4,127https://www.vaken.se/
TABLE A2

Overview of collected cross-platform data

CountryPlatformActors (N)Actors sharing at least one alternative new media URL (N)Posts collected (N)Posts with alternative news media URL (N)
DenmarkFacebook4,1092,14514,933,94199,324
4chan6034066
Gab2289752,12390
Reddit604847,9421,717
Telegram4,87036121,219,3773,629
Twitter4,0331,55812,011,02537,765
Vkontakte36541800,0502,504
YouTube22986,475200
SwedenFacebook14,1244,01632,588,994365,015
4chan286755,428187
Gab463721,331,2291,310
Reddit26915874,858852
Telegram9,0131,21729,019,64518,222
Twitter22,64013,16133,073,640466,229
Vkontakte1,3404772,222,51514,559
YouTube8318188,3511,028
Total61,96523,368148,355,9991,012,637
TABLE A3

User engagement metrics per platform

PlatformMetrics
Facebookreactions, comments, shares
Twitterretweets, likes, replies
Vkontaktecomments, likes, reposts
Redditscore
YouTubelikes, favourites, comments, views
Telegramforwards, views
Gabreplies, reblogs, favourites
4chanupvotes
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/nor-2024-0009 | Journal eISSN: 2001-5119 | Journal ISSN: 1403-1108
Journal RSS Feed
Language: English
Page range: 92 - 119
Published on: Mar 12, 2024
Published by: University of Gothenburg Nordicom
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Keywords:
alternative media,
digital news environments,
news curation,
counterpublics,
news sharing
Related subjects:
Social sciences,
Communication science,
Mass communication,
Public and political communication

© 2024 Eva Mayerhöffer, Jakob Bæk Kristensen, Tim Ramsland, published by University of Gothenburg Nordicom
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 45 (2024): Issue s1 (March 2024)
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