Metrics of Visual Polarisation in Digital Journalism: A Study of Graphic Parameters in Bulgarian YouTube Channels for Political Commentary and Analysis
Metrics of Visual Polarisation in Digital Journalism: A Study of Graphic Parameters in Bulgarian YouTube Channels for Political Commentary and Analysis

Author(s): Maya Stoyanova
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Media studies, Communication studies
Published by: Факултет по журналистика и масова комуникация, Софийски университет „Св. Кл. Охридски”
Keywords: visual identity; algorithms; YouTube thumbnails; visual polarisation; graphic language; social media; visual communication; media ecology; digital culture; digital journalism
Summary/Abstract: This study offers a systematic quantitative analysis of visual polarisation in the Bulgarian YouTube space by examining 12 graphic parameters in the thumbnails of nine channels for political commentary and analysis. As noted in the text, ‘visual elements function as powerful mechanisms for amplifying political polarisation’, fitting into the logic of algorithmic recommendations that favour emotionally charged and conflictual content. Using contingency tables, χ² tests and nominal measures (contingency coefficient and Cramer’s V), the study identifies three clearly distinguishable types of visual identity, which differ statistically significantly in terms of style, colour profile, composition, use of symbols and typographical choices. The results show that the visual language of thumbnails functions as a marker of political identity and as a mechanism that structures the consumption of political content, shaping not only visions but also audiences, and influencing journalistic practices in the digital environment. The study contributes to the understanding of the role of visual communication in the processes of political polarisation and highlights the need for broader empirical analyses in the Bulgarian context.

• Details
• Contents