Media ensembles in depopulating municipalities and news deserts: insights from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain

This study analyzes the role of media ensembles in municipalities at risk of depopulation in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, exploring their function as communicative resilience resources in areas classified as news deserts. It seeks to move beyond the traditional focus on the absence of conventional media by adopting a processual perspective that acknowledges the interaction among various communication channels and practices at the local level. A quantitative approach was used, including the construction of a database with information on 721 municipalities concerning the presence of institutional and non-professional communication channels. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted, complemented by geographic analysis tools to identify spatial patterns in the distribution of these resources. The findings show that, although smaller municipalities tend to have fewer communication channels, some exceptions exhibit high communicative activity, demonstrating resilience dynamics. Geographic analysis revealed territorial concentration patterns in media ensembles, suggesting processes of influence and transmission among neighboring municipalities. The study concludes that research on depopulated areas should move beyond assessing the mere absence of conventional media to consider the diversity of infrastructures and practices that sustain the circulation of information. As a novel contribution, the research proposes the integration of geographic analysis into local communication studies, offering a comprehensive perspective that deepens our understanding of the dynamics of media ensembles in depopulating contexts. • Analyzed 721 rural municipalities in Castilla-La Mancha's news desert region. • Mapped digital media ensembles to gauge local communicative resilience. • Found spatial clusters of dense media ensembles in depopulated areas. • Detected evidence of contagion among neighboring municipalities. • Proposed integrating GIS with communication research in rural contexts.