The case of the top Spanish YouTubers: Emerging media subjects and discourse practices in the new media ecology

Abstract

The objective of this article is to propose a first exploratory analysis of the Spanish YouTubers’ main productions and practices. Following the description of the emergence of YouTube in the context of media ecology, the article presents a general overview of the top 10 Spanish YouTubers’ production based on quantitative data. The study continues with a semiotic/discursive analysis of their audio-visual production’s main distinctive traits. As traditional television is imitating nowadays these new media expressions, this article also addresses the aesthetics and grammar of Yutubers, a TV program produced by Comedy Central that simulates the Spanish YouTubers channels’ aesthetics and language. The analysis concludes with a discussion on the study’s findings and a series of questions about these new media subjects.