Analysis of media’s messages about holiday renting in the Balearic Islands

Abstract

[eng] Media messages are known to have an influence on people’s opinion on certain topics, as they can be the main source of information for individuals. However, not all media influence individuals on the same levels; there are series of factors which determine it. One of them is the selective exposure to media. The avoidance of certain newspapers, whether it is because they are perceived as biased or because they do not cover interesting topics for the individual, does not give a global image of the issue to the individual. The perception and credibility of media also play a key role in the influence they have on individuals. If a newspaper is perceived as non-credible or biased, the readers are more likely to be sceptical about the information that they are presented. Additionally, the political environment and political engagement of the individual also affect the influence of media. In weaker democracies, media has a critical role in shaping the country’s society. Furthermore, the political involvement of the individual also plays a role in media’s influence, as their messages can be perceived as adverse the reader’s political beliefs. In the case of holiday renting and the appearance of Airbnb in the Balearic Islands has been a controversial topic, as it involved changes in the regulation of renting and the economy of the islands. On the newspaper articles analysed, there are differences in how data is portraited, the language used in the reports and the attention brought to the efforts of the platform to comply with the law. Finally, the opinion of the residents of the Balearic Islands about Airbnb is generally positive, according to the survey questionnaire made. Media is perceived as untrustworthy and respondents also admit avoiding certain media if they perceive them as biased or do not cover issues of their interest. Additionally, most of the respondents stated that they consult more than one source of information when wanting to be informed about certain issues