Influencia de la manipulación mediática en la percepción digital de la Universidad Técnica de Machala

Abstract

This research examines the influence of media manipulation on the digital perception of the Technical University of Machala (UTMACH). Its focus is on the publication by the digital media outlet Mp Noticias in October 2024 of the fragmented video of the performance "Astros que guían y raíces que conectan" (Guiding Stars and Roots that Connect), starring the Arts student. The methodology used was a qualitative approach based on 795 comments extracted from Facebook, classified into thematic, emotional, and discursive categorization matrices. The results show that 83.6% of the messages showed a negative bias, presenting emotions such as shame, irony, and mockery, as well as the use of offensive language. It was shown that 94.4% of users were unaware of the artistic and cultural context of the presentation, which contributed to a misperception of the institution, compounded by the omission of information in the original publication. The research concludes that media manipulation, through fragmented discourse and the omission of context, significantly damaged the reputation and institutional notoriety of UTMACH, highlighting the need to implement strategic communication protocols, digital monitoring, and training in reputational crisis management.