Ten years of the mobile world congress: Media impact on the city of Barcelona

The Mobile World Congress (MWC) has become an international benchmark in mobile technology and one of the most significant events hosted in Barcelona. Beyond its technological relevance, its media visibility may have played a key role in shaping the city’s public image and international reputation. This study aims to examine the impact of media coverage of the Mobile World Congress on the promotion and positioning of the city of Barcelona. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining content analysis and sentiment analysis through the implementation of a hierarchical multiclass automatic classification system. The study analysed news coverage published in three major regional newspapers— La Vanguardia , Ara.Cat , and El Periódico ( n = 3523 news articles). This methodological design enabled the identification of thematic patterns, dominant narratives, and the frequency with which Barcelona was associated with the event. The findings indicate that media coverage of the MWC has had a notably positive effect on Barcelona’s visibility and reputation. The newspapers consistently presented the city as a leading hub for technological innovation, international business, and large-scale global events. Recurrent references to Barcelona’s organisational capacity and strategic relevance within the mobile technology sector contributed to strengthening its urban brand and enhancing its symbolic capital in both regional and international media discourse. The MWC has significantly contributed to boosting and promoting the city of Barcelona. Media representation of the event has reinforced the city’s status as a global, innovation-driven urban centre and has consolidated its position within the international technological landscape.