The mediatization of social protest in the digital media ecosystem: a theoretical-conceptual proposal for its analytical approach

Purpose: The mediatization of social protest has become a central axis for understanding contemporary transformations of collective action in contexts shaped by the digitalization of communication. Although protest has historically been an object of interest in political communication, classical approaches are insufficient to explain the dynamics emerging within the digital media ecosystem, particularly with regard to the reconfiguration of action repertoires, the struggle over symbolic power, and the production of meaning in the public sphere. In this context, the purpose of this article is to develop a theoretical-conceptual proposal for the analytical study of the digital mediatization of social protest. Methodology. The article adopts a qualitative, theoretical-conceptual approach based on a critical and interpretative analysis of academic literature on mediatization, social protest, and digital communication. Through a systematic review of the state of the art, the study identifies convergences, tensions, and analytical gaps in existing approaches, allowing for the articulation of different theoretical bodies into an integrative conceptual model. Results and conclusions. The findings suggest that digital mediatization does not merely amplify protest episodes, but rather substantially transforms the logic of collective action, public visibility, and symbolic struggle by reconfiguring traditional opportunity structures and modes of interaction among actors, media, and audiences. Original contribution. The main contribution of the article lies in the articulated formulation of the concepts of digital political-communicational opportunity structure, digital counter-frames of protest, and digital counter publics of protest. These concepts provide a novel and transferable analytical framework for the study of social protest in digital environments and in contexts of high social conflict.