The present research explores the concept of post-truth and disinformation in regard to Brexit. It is a qualitative and exploratory investigation. It uses Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to take a look into the speeches of politicians during the Brexit campaign. The research matches seven characteristics of post-truth with four of the five levels of disinformation according to conceptual parameters. At the end, it concludes that politicians use emotional and rival narratives to create a brief political polarization.

El fenómeno de las ultramediaciones surge de la evolución de la ecología de medios, la convergencia y la hipermediación, en función de la tecnología y del ser humano, visto como artífice de su desarrollo. Así como pasa en la teoría económica, en las ultramediaciones las redes generan patrones de comportamiento y las interacciones influyen en los resultados de coordinación y cooperación. Entonces, una diversidad de acciones es sostenible con ciertas estructuras de red, pero no con otras; por lo tanto, las personas funcionan como nodos de acuerdo con diferencias en sus conexiones y su historia dependerá de la red a la que pertenezcan. Esta investigación aborda las bases de las ultramediaciones y analiza cómo se integra Ecuador a este fenómeno a través de la exploración de variables recopiladas en la Encuesta de Propósitos Múltiples 2019 y la Encuesta de Empleo 2022 del Instituto Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (INEC). Se concluye que en Ecuador la pandemia redujo la brecha en el uso de las redes sociales, lo cual puede interpretarse como una mejor asimilación y participación de las conexiones entre nodos y usuarios en las ultramediaciones; sin embargo, la penetración de internet sigue siendo el primer obstáculo para crear un desarrollo más igualitario.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, digital interactions ceased to be “just another form of communication”; indeed, they became the only means of social interaction, mediated and driven by information and communication technologies (ICTs). Consequently, working in a digital context switched from being a phenomenon to be studied to the primary means of socializing and the primary workspace for researchers. This study explores four different methodologies to question how discursive interactions related to power and newsworthiness may be addressed in digital contexts. The multimodal approach was reviewed through the affordances of critical discourse analysis, issue ownership and salience, morphological discourse analysis, and protest event analysis. It starts by theoretically addressing concepts of multimodality and phenomenology by focusing on the implications of both perspectives. It examines publications and interactions in digital contexts in Ecuador from March 2017 to December 2020 within three political phenomena. The results of the analysis of these publications and interactions suggest that when analyzing political participation and newsworthiness, the virtual becomes a subjective space. Moreover, qualitative research is one of the primary ways to combine multimodality with other forms of discourse analysis. This paper concludes that perceptions, practices, and meanings assigned to social online representations can be better analyzed through multimodality, which tackles the intertwined characteristics of virtual discourses.

Ultramediaciones is a concept developed by the authors that proposes that connectivity dominates beyond devices. In this sense, connectivity is not only on the Internet: it occurs in the digital and analogic world in the relationships that people create. It studies how a detonator (energy) generates, from communication, connections (frequency) and brings together interests (vibration) that affect the understanding of the environment. Moreover, the original energy from communication is capable of modifying social function and life. This theory is based on media ecology, social mediation, and hipermediations. This research explores how ultramediaciones work in Ecuador depending on age and geography (rural vs urban). This quantitative study uses the data collected at the Multipurpose Survey for 2019 and the Employment Survey 2022 from the National Institute of Censuses and Statistics (INEC) in Ecuador. The aim is to explore the evolution of use, appropriation, and potentialities of digitality and communication, based on the concept-under-development of ultramediaciones. It discusses that the country is facing an increase in the cultural gap: citizens are increasingly distancing themselves from each other, making it difficult for digital citizenship to consolidate. Digitality is creating an environment that just 63,2% of the population shares and that just 16,15% is capable to create, modifying, or even understanding.

This study expands on the initial findings presented at the 2024 Alfamed Conference under the theme Social Networks and Citizenship, where the paper Disinformation and Misinformation in a Context of Ultramediations was introduced. It explores the relationship between disinformation and ultramediations within the contemporary Ecuadorian social context, with particular emphasis on the implications of digital illiteracy. The theoretical framework draws on key concepts such as media ecology, social mediations, and hypermediations, applying them specifically to the Ecuadorian case. The analysis highlights the role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in widening the digital divide while proposing digital literacy as a crucial tool to counteract both disinformation and hate speech. The methodology integrates both qualitative and quantitative approaches: a literature review aimed at strengthening and expanding the theory of ultramediations, and an analysis of data from Ecuador’s National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (INEC) covering the period from 2019 to 2022, with a focus on pandemic-related developments. Among the key findings, the study reveals a paradox: although internet access has increased, its use as a source of information has declined. This underscores the importance of understanding how users interact with and appropriate digital environments within a networked information flow model. The study argues that the theory of ultramediations offers essential conceptual tools for analyzing these interconnected dynamics. Finally, the research emphasizes the urgent need to design educational strategies that promote digital literacy in Ecuador, as a vital step toward critically and effectively confronting the challenges posed by disinformation in today’s media ecosystem. Este estudio amplía los hallazgos preliminares expuestos en el encuentro Alfamed 2024, bajo el eje temático Redes sociales y ciudadanía, donde se presentó el trabajo titulado Desinformación y malinformación en un contexto de ultramediaciones. La investigación profundiza en la conexión entre el fenómeno de la desinformación y las ultramediaciones dentro del entorno social ecuatoriano actual, haciendo especial énfasis en las implicaciones del analfabetismo digital. El marco teórico se basa en nociones fundamentales como la ecología de los medios, las mediaciones sociales y las hipermediaciones, aplicadas específicamente al caso ecuatoriano. El análisis destaca el papel de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en la ampliación de la brecha digital, al tiempo que propone la alfabetización digital como una vía clave para contrarrestar tanto la desinformación como los discursos de odio. La metodología combina técnicas cualitativas y cuantitativas: por un lado, una revisión bibliográfica orientada al desarrollo y consolidación de la teoría de las ultramediaciones; por otro, un análisis de datos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC) correspondientes al periodo 2019-2022, con el objetivo de observar tendencias y cambios vinculados a la pandemia. Entre los principales hallazgos, se evidencia una paradoja: el uso de Internet como fuente de información ha disminuido, a pesar del aumento en su acceso. Esto resalta la importancia de comprender cómo los usuarios interactúan y se apropian de los entornos digitales dentro de un modelo en red de circulación informativa. En consecuencia, el estudio plantea que la teoría de las ultramediaciones ofrece herramientas conceptuales esenciales para analizar estas dinámicas interconectadas. Finalmente, se enfatiza la urgencia de diseñar estrategias educativas que fomenten la alfabetización digital en Ecuador, como medida necesaria para enfrentar de forma crítica y consciente los desafíos que plantea la desinformación en el ecosistema comunicativo actual. Este estudo aprofunda os resultados preliminares apresentados no encontro Alfamed 2024, sob o eixo temático Redes Sociais e Cidadania, onde foi apresentado o trabalho intitulado Desinformação e Malinformação em um Contexto de Ultramediações. A pesquisa investiga a relação entre o fenômeno da desinformação e as ultramediações no contexto social contemporâneo do Equador, com especial atenção às implicações do analfabetismo digital. O referencial teórico fundamenta-se em conceitos-chave como ecologia dos meios, mediações sociais e hipermediações, aplicados especificamente ao caso equatoriano. A análise destaca o papel das tecnologias da informação e comunicação (TIC) na ampliação da desigualdade digital, ao mesmo tempo em que propõe a alfabetização digital como ferramenta essencial para enfrentar tanto a desinformação quanto o discurso de ódio. A metodologia combina abordagens qualitativas e quantitativas: de um lado, uma revisão bibliográfica voltada ao fortalecimento e desenvolvimento da teoria das ultramediações; de outro, uma análise de dados do Instituto Nacional de Estatística e Censos (INEC) do Equador, referentes ao período de 2019 a 2022, com o objetivo de observar mudanças associadas à pandemia. Entre os principais achados, o estudo revela uma contradição: embora o acesso à internet tenha aumentado, seu uso como fonte de informação diminuiu. Isso evidencia a importância de compreender como os usuários interagem com e se apropriam dos ambientes digitais dentro de um modelo em rede de circulação da informação. Assim, o estudo sustenta que a teoria das ultramediações oferece...