La presencia de clickbait en Google News de América Latina: Análisis descriptivo basado en inteligencia artificial

Douglas Cordeiro; Anelise Rocha; Carlos Lopezosa; Javier Guallar

doi:10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.15566

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The presence of clickbait in Google News in Latin America: a descriptive analysis based on artificial intelligence

DOI: https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.15566

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Published: May 15, 2026

Issue: Preprint

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Keywords: Google News clickbait news aggregation data analysis Latin America

Authors

Douglas Cordeiro
Universidade Federal de Goiás

Anelise Rocha
Universidade Federal de Goiás

Carlos Lopezosa
Universitat de Barcelona

Javier Guallar
Universitat de Barcelona

Abstract

This study analyzes the presence of clickbait in a dataset of 957,000 news headlines aggregated by Google News in Latin America over a three-month period, from February to April 2024. Artificial intelligence techniques were employed to identify clickbait and quantify, through statistical indicators, patterns and trends of sensationalist news in relation to the total volume of aggregated content. The analysis aimed to highlight similarities and differences among regional versions and specific sections of the platform, as well as their potential influence on public perception and the quality of information provided. This research adopts a quantitative methodology for content analysis of data extracted from Google News, operationalized through the DAFIM framework (Data Analysis Framework for Information and Media). The findings indicate a considerable presence of clickbait, particularly in sections related to entertainment and science and technology, as well as political topics featured on the main pages of several analyzed versions. The study concludes that the use of clickbait in Google News versions across Latin American countries is unevenly distributed, with Argentina and Mexico standing out for exhibiting a more sensationalist editorial approach, while countries such as Cuba show significantly lower rates. Thematic and editorial differences between countries reveal how cultural context influences the production of attention-grabbing headlines, raising concerns about information quality and underscoring the need for strategies to mitigate its impact on public perception.

Author Biographies

Douglas Cordeiro, Universidade Federal de Goiás

Professor at the Faculty of Information and Communication at the Federal University of Goiás, coordinator of the Research Group on Technologies and Computing Applied to Information and Communication (GTA/UFG), and professor in the graduate program in Communication (PPGCOM/UFG). He holds a postdoctoral degree from the Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media at the University of Barcelona, a postdoctoral degree in Journalism from Fernando Pessoa University, Portugal, and a PhD in Computer Science and Computational Mathematics from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. He is a specialist in applied artificial intelligence from the Federal Institute of Goiás, Brazil, and holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the Federal University of Goiás, Brazil.

Anelise Rocha, Universidade Federal de Goiás

PhD candidate in Communication and Information, holds a Master's degree in Communication and Information, with a focus on media and information, and a Bachelor's degree in Information Management, all from the Faculty of Information and Communication at the Federal University of Goiás (FIC/UFG). Data Intelligence Supervisor and member of the Research Group on Technology and Computing Applied to Information and Communication at FIC/UFG.

Carlos Lopezosa, Universitat de Barcelona

Carlos Lopezosa holds a PhD in Journalism from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and is a Lecturer in the Department of Library Science, Documentation, and Audiovisual Communication at the University of Barcelona. His doctoral thesis focused on the study of ranking factors in content-intensive websites, especially online media outlets, as well as the evaluation of SEO analysis tools. He is currently specializing in the ethical use of generative artificial intelligence in research, journalism, and documentation.

Javier Guallar, Universitat de Barcelona

Javier Guallar holds a PhD in Communication from Universitat Pompeu Fabra and a PhD in Information and Documentation from the University of Barcelona. He is a professor at the Faculty of Information and Audiovisual Media at the University of Barcelona, academic secretary of this Faculty, and a member of the Research Center for Information, Communication and Culture (CRICC) at UB. He is the principal investigator of the funded project CUVICOM. He is the author of around 50 publications indexed in WoS or Scopus and has written several books. His main research areas are content curation, journalistic documentation, digital journalism, and social media. He is also the editor of the newsletter Content curators — https://jguallar.substack.com/.

How to Cite

Cordeiro, D., Rocha, A., Lopezosa, C., & Guallar, J. (2026). The presence of clickbait in Google News in Latin America: a descriptive analysis based on artificial intelligence. Anuario Electrónico De Estudios En Comunicación Social "Disertaciones". https://doi.org/10.12804/revistas.urosario.edu.co/disertaciones/a.15566

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