What is it about?
This study explores how a 19th-century Catholic newspaper, Osservatore Romano, reported on Bulgaria during a key historical period in 1877. By analysing the relationships between words in the newspaper’s text, the research reveals patterns in how Bulgaria’s struggle for independence was downplayed or framed through biased language. Using advanced digital tools and network analysis, the study highlights how historical narratives are shaped by editorial decisions and political influence. This work demonstrates how modern technology can uncover hidden perspectives in old archives, making historical analysis more insightful and systematic.
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Why is it important?
This research bridges the gap between historical text analysis and modern network science, offering a fresh method to examine how narratives are constructed in archival sources. By shedding light on how Bulgaria’s independence struggle was framed in a major Catholic newspaper, it provides critical insights into the political and ideological influences on media coverage during a pivotal historical moment. The study’s innovative approach demonstrates how digital tools can revolutionise archival research, making it highly relevant for historians, data scientists, and media analysts seeking to understand the interplay between language, power, and historical representation.
Perspectives
This publication is a reflection of my fascination with the intersection of history, language, and technology. It combines my passion for uncovering hidden narratives in archival texts with the exciting possibilities of modern network analysis. The process of bringing 19th-century texts to life through digital tools was both challenging and rewarding, revealing not only patterns in historical coverage but also the enduring influence of political and ideological forces on media narratives. I hope this work inspires others to explore how computational methods can enrich our understanding of history and its connection to contemporary issues.
Fabio Ashtar Telarico
Univerza v Ljubljani
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Scaling up Archival Text Analysis with the Blockmodeling of N-gram Networks: A Case Study of Bulgaria’s Representation in the “Osservatore Romanoˮ (January – May 1877), Bulgarski Ezik i Literatura-Bulgarian Language and Literature, May 2024, Az-buki National Publishing House,
DOI: 10.53656/bel2024-3-7.
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