Abstract

The construction of the public discourse on health is affected by the transformations of the media ecosystem. The spread of the internet and social media that have entered the citizens’ media diets , the intertwining between digital and traditional media and the proliferation of user-generated content, have an impact on the production, circulation and consumption of health news in the connected society. The article focuses on the role played by an online gatekeeper such as Google News, in the process of building the online health agenda setting. Principal reference is made to study concerning the collection and thematic analysis of the news that Google News Italia aggregates in the «Health» area and the impact that this activity produces on Facebook users, in terms of engagement