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In the weeks following the devastating DANA that struck the province of València in October 2024, the authorities were faced not only with an unprecedented climate emergency, but also an information crisis marked by the proliferation of hoaxes, conspiracy theories and fake news. A recent study involving the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) has made an in-depth analysis of how this disinformation shaped public perception of the tragedy and hampered the institutional response.

The research has been conducted by Germán Llorca-Abad, senior lecturer in the Audiovisual Communication, Documentation and History of Art Department at the Universitat Politècnica de València, in collaboration with the lecturer Alberto E. López Carrión, from the International University of València (VIU). It has recently been published in the Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación.

The authors analysed a total of 185 news items published between 28 October and 17 November 2024 in the most widely read national and local newspapers, identifying 192 hoaxes that circulated during the critical period of the disaster.

Hoaxes with a significant social and emotional impact

Among the most notable cases was the hoax about the car park at the Bonaire shopping centre in Aldaia, which falsely claimed that hundreds of bodies were lying in submerged vehicles. This piece of disinformation was spread by influencers and media personalities and gained wide traction on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Conspiracy narratives also proliferated, blaming the government for destroying dams "built during Franco's regime" or accusing the AEMET of hiding information about the rains.

According to the study, three out of four hoaxes were false content intentionally created to mislead, and 75% were spread through open or closed social networks such as X, Instagram or WhatsApp. ‘Most of the content was highly emotional, designed to generate outrage, fear or rejection of institutions,’ says Germán Llorca.

In some cases, these falsehoods even came from journalists or television programmes. The analysis reveals that 28% of the hoaxes originated or were disseminated from professional journalistic environments, raising serious doubts about editorial filters in crisis contexts. Despite this, the authors also highlight the role of some media outlets that did contribute to debunking falsehoods, as well as the work of verification platforms such as Maldita.es, Newtral and VerificaRTVE.

‘Diagonalism’ and political instrumentalisation

One of the most innovative contributions of the study is the application of the concept of diagonalism, a communication strategy that, according to the researchers, was particularly visible in this crisis. It combines far-right discourse with messages traditionally associated with the left, such as criticism of institutional power or elites.

The aim is to connect with public discontent from multiple ideological angles and take advantage of uncertainty to reinforce narratives of mistrust. During the DANA, this strategy translated into attacks on the government, scientific bodies and NGOs such as Caritas and the Red Cross.

‘In situations of catastrophe, the discrediting of institutions is exploited to sow informational chaos and politically mobilise certain sectors,’ explains Alberto López-Carrión. In addition, social media algorithms — which prioritise the most viral content, not necessarily the most truthful — amplified these messages, favouring their rapid spread.

‘Extreme emotions, such as outrage or fear, generate the most interaction. And hoaxes appeal precisely to those emotions,’ the authors conclude.

Greater institutional and digital responsibility

The study concludes with a clear message: there is an urgent need to strengthen media literacy among citizens, improve institutional mechanisms for responding to information and demand greater transparency and accountability from digital platforms.

Although the government activated official profiles on social media to combat disinformation, these efforts came too late and had limited reach. The researchers recommend agile communication protocols in emergencies and more effective alliances between public institutions, the media and verification organisations.

‘Combating hoaxes is not only a matter of truth, it is also a matter of public health and social cohesion,’ argue López-Carrión and Llorca-Abad. And they warn: ‘If decisive action is not taken, the next emergency will not only be climatic, but also informational.’