Visual storytelling and human interaction in Mexican sports journalism

In the digital era, visual storytelling has emerged as a powerful narrative strategy that enhances the news experience by integrating data, visualization, and human interaction. This study examines how selected Mexican digital sports media have adopted data visualization as a form of storytelling through a content analysis of 257 pieces published between 2012 and 2023 by nine outlets covering Liga MX finals. Findings reveal a predominant use of static graphics (67.7%) and linear, historically oriented narratives, with limited implementation of interactive design. Although 46.3% of the content allows for some degree of navigation, only one instance enables user personalization, highlighting a missed opportunity to foster deeper audience engagement. Visible authorship credits were attributed to a single creator in 99.6% of the pieces, although this does not establish the absence of uncredited interdisciplinary collaboration. Within the analyzed corpus, data visualization functions more as a graphic complement than as a participatory narrative tool. The paper calls for a shift toward models that center on human-data interaction as a structural axis, enabling collaborative, transparent, and emotionally resonant visual narratives. The findings characterize a bounded corpus of digital coverage of Liga MX finals and are not intended to represent all Mexican sports journalism.