Digital transformation and cultural mediation: New practices of youth cultural journalism in the multiplatform era

Abstract

Youth cultural journalism is undergoing a reconfiguration driven by media convergence, the expansion of digital platforms, and audience participation. This study analyzes how these practices are configured in multiplatform environments and how they contribute to contemporary cultural mediation. The research adopted a qualitative, exploratory-descriptive approach with an interpretive orientation, combining content analysis with the descriptive examination of digital metrics. The census corpus comprised all 21 posts published on the Instagram account Periodismo Cultural EC between August 12, 2025, and March 31, 2026. The analytical categories combined theoretical and emergent criteria related to format, topic, narrative type, communication resources, communicative purpose, calls to action, and audience interaction. Metrics were collected through direct observation on July 15, 2026. Carousel posts accounted for 61.9 % of the corpus, while reels achieved the highest average interaction among recurrent formats, with 57.4 interactions per post and 6,169 views. Testimonial narratives generated 482 interactions, representing 48.8% of the total, and art-related content obtained the highest cumulative audience participation by topic. The combination of visual, testimonial, and sequential resources strengthened the visibility of cultural actors and practices. Audience participation took a predominantly reactive form, with likes accounting for most responses