From Headlines to Thumbnails: Comparative Analysis of Web Publications in Bulgarian Digital Media and YouTube

In the contemporary digital landscape, news organizations utilize multiple platforms to reach diverse audiences. This study addresses the question of content differentiation by investigating the cross-platform strategies of three leading Bulgarian news agencies to determine if their thematic priorities are consistent or platform-specific. To achieve this, we conducted a quantitative text analysis of headlines from their websites and official YouTube channels using the TF-IDF algorithm. This was supplemented with a qualitative analysis of YouTube thumbnails to assess their strategic visual contribution. The findings reveal a significant strategic divergence. YouTube channels are primarily dedicated to high-impact domestic political news centered on key public figures. In contrast, their official websites feature a much broader thematic scope, covering international conflicts, extensive cultural and regional events, or a mix of politics and economics. The thumbnail analysis further shows they function as a critical visual layer on YouTube, adding emotional context and explicit cues that are not present in text headlines. This research concludes that news agencies do not simply mirror content but strategically adapt it to leverage the unique characteristics and audience expectations of each platform, employing distinct models for their YouTube and web presences.