Disinformation Strategies of VOX: Media Coverage of Its Parliamentary Discourse on Agenda 2030

Abstract

Agenda 2030 is a United Nations action plan aimed at improving people’s lives and protecting the planet. However, it faces resistance, notably from the Spanish political party VOX, which rejects it and promotes its alternative, Agenda España. This study seeks to analyze the media coverage of VOX’s parliamentary discourse on Agenda 2030 to assess its impact in the press and determine whether disinformation has become a communication strategy for advancing the party’s ideological positions. The research methodology consists of three phases. The first involves a quantitative analysis of the number of congressional sessions in which the topic is mentioned. The second identifies journalistic content referencing Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in relation to VOX and the Spanish Parliament, using MyNews to examine the ten most widely read digital newspapers in Spain. The third phase is a content analysis of news articles and public relations strategies. The findings indicate that VOX references the UN’s objectives and goals in 235 parliamentary sessions. Most media outlets reproduce the party’s discourse on this global action plan. Additionally, disinformation strategies are identified within VOX’s messaging, primarily through conspiracy theories and sensationalist narratives. In conclusion, the impact of VOX’s discourse is limited and generally reported with neutrality. The party does not engage deeply with the SDGs and instead uses disinformation as a political communication strategy to counter Agenda 2030 while reinforcing its own Agenda España. Publicity and dark PR emerge as the party’s primary public relations strategies.