Discursive Networks in the Animal Experimentation Debate in the Spanish Press Regarding the Vivotecnia Case

Abstract

Animal experimentation has been the subject of extensive political, social and scientific debate. In 2021, Cruelty Free International published videos showing abuse of animals used for experimentation at the Vivotecnia laboratory in the Community of Madrid. In this research, we address the debate reflected in the Spanish press in the wake of this case using a discourse network analysis methodology. The analysis of 84 texts from ten Spanish newspapers shows that, despite unanimous condemnation of the events, there are clearly two discursive coalitions, one that questions and one that does not question animal experimentation, both balanced in terms of the number of actors. In the study, we also identify how the debate in the press is organised around ten main ideas. This study contributes to our understanding of how public debates are constructed and represented through the media.