News dissemination on leading media organisations in Croatia: Covid-19 vaccination affair

Abstract: During the Covid-19 vaccination in Croatia, there were inconsistencies and irregularities with the surplus vaccine and its recipients. Media coverage of the affair was extensive. The details were broadcasted in traditional media and social media. Like many other spheres of social life, the media system has progressed under the baton of technological and communication changes. The destabilisation of traditionally conducted communication required the adaptation and reshaping of all its actors. This study argues that we live in a hybrid media system, where traditional media and social media are in symbiosis (Chadwick, 2013) and are interconnected. The study aims to investigate what makes online content viral and discuss findings in a hybrid media context. The study conducts a content analysis, examining articles posted on media organisation web pages and their Facebook pages covering the vaccination affair. The variables in the analysis are based on the virality concept (taken from the field of marketing).