Beyond the Algorithm: The Positive Side of TikTok and Instagram
The “Un tema Al día” podcast highlights how educators and historians are reclaiming these platforms to foster genuine intellectual connection and public outreach.
Academic Outreach via Short-Form Video
Lidia Merenciano, a collaborator with elDiario.es, uses these platforms to discuss archaeology and history. Similarly, art historian Carla Serrani, known as La-Inercia, utilizes short-form video to analyze complex artistic movements for a general audience.
Environmental Advocacy and Digital Nature
Beyond the humanities, the podcast highlights Ernesto Montoya, known as Viejatierra, who focuses on nature and environmental content.
The Role of Digital Culture Management
Alba Lafarga, a cultural manager and philosophy graduate, provides a theoretical framework for this phenomenon. Lafarga, who produces content on YouTube, analyzes the intersection of digital culture and traditional philosophy. Her work suggests that the essence of the internet—connecting, sharing, and divulging—still resists the corporate drive toward pure addiction.
This resistance is not accidental.
The Reach of ‘Un tema Al día’
The analysis of these trends is delivered via “Un tema Al día,” the daily current affairs podcast from elDiario.es. Directed by Juanlu Sánchez, the program has achieved significant scale, accumulating over 190,000 subscribers across Spotify, Apple Podcast, iVoox, Amazon Music, and Podimo.
The podcast’s impact is recognized by industry awards, including the Premio Ondas for “Revelation Podcast.” It has also been labeled as an “essential” listen by Apple and a “revelation” by Amazon. The program typically breaks down complex daily news into 15-minute episodes, providing a blueprint for how traditional journalism can adapt to the podcasting era.
The production is moving beyond the digital realm, with a live event scheduled for October 3 in Madrid, signaling a trend where digital-first media returns to physical, theatrical spaces to deepen audience engagement.
The battle for the human attention span is far from over.