Santiago Is Not Chile: Gaps, Practices, and Perceptions of Media
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ARRIAGADA, A., CORREA, T., SCHERMAN, A. y ABARZÚA, J. Santiago is not Chile CUADERNOS.INFO Nº 37 ISSN 0719-3661 Versión electrónica: ISSN 0719-367x http://www.cuadernos.info doi: 10.7764/cdi.37.769 Received: 04-16-2015 / Accepted: 08-05-2015 Santiago is not Chile: Gaps, practices, and perceptions of media representation in Chilean audiences Santiago no es Chile: brechas, prácticas y percepciones de la representación medial en las audiencias chilenas Santiago não é o Chile: brechas, práticas e percepções da representação medial nas audiências chilenas ARTURO ARRIAGADA, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile ([email protected]) TERESA CORREA, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile ([email protected]) ANDRÉS SCHERMAN, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile ([email protected]) JOSEFINA ABARZÚA, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile ([email protected]) ABSTRACT RESUMEN RESUMO This article explores audiences’ media Este estudio explora las prácticas de Este estudo explora as práticas de practices in relation to local identity. In apropiación de distintos medios de apropriação de distintos meios de this context, the article analyzes audiences’ comunicación por parte de las audiencias comunicação por parte das audiências perceptions through discourses about y las percepciones de representación a e as percepções de representação media representation, as well as their uses. través de sus discursos. A través de una através de seus discursos. Através de Based on a qualitative approach – that metodología cualitativa -que combinó el uma metodologia qualitativa - que includes research diaries from 36 people registro de diarios de vida con entrevistas combinou o registro de diários de vida in six regions across the country combined en profundidad (N= 36)- este estudio reveló com entrevistas em profundidade (N=36) with semi-structured interviews – the una brecha centro-periferia: las audiencias - este estudo revelou uma brecha centro- study revealed a gap between people definen de forma diferente lo “local” según periferia: as audiências definem de forma from the center and the periphery of the estén en el centro (Santiago) o en la periferia diferente o “local” caso estejam no centro country. Audiences define differently what (regiones). A su vez, las audiencias de la (Santiago) ou na periferia (Interior). is considered as “local” according to their periferia se sienten poco representadas Ao mesmo tempo, as audiências da location in the center or the periphery. y cubiertas de una manera estereotípica periferia sentem-se pouco representadas Also, audiences who live in the periphery por los medios nacionales, los cuales se e cobertas de maneira estereotípica pelos feel misrepresented in the media. Thus, concentran en las audiencias del centro. meios nacionais, os quais se concentram they feel a stereotyped treatment in nas audiências do centro. national media, which focuses on the interests of audiences located in the center of the country. Keywords: Audiences, media represen- Palabras clave: Audiencias, represent- Palavras-chave: Audiências, representa- tation, diaries, local identity. ación, diarios de vida, identidad local. ção, diários de vida, identidade local. •How to cite: Arriagada,CUADERNOS.INFO A., Correa, T., NºScherman, 37 / DECEMBER A. y Abarzúa, 2015 / ISSN J. (2015). 0719-3661 Santiago / E-VERSION: no es Chile: WWW.CUADERNOS.INFO brechas, prácticas / y ISSN percepciones 0719-367X de la repre- sentación medial en las audiencias chilenas. Cuadernos.info, (37), 63-75. doi: 10.7764/cdi.37.769 63 ARRIAGADA, A., CORREA, T., SCHERMAN, A. y ABARZÚA, J. Santiago is not Chile INTRODUCTION to the media and the contexts in which these actions Diversity and media representation are generally occur” (Couldry, 2012, p. 35). studied in a unidirectional perspective, “from top to bottom”, where the focus is put on the ownership Media, diversity and representation: a transition structure, media content and its consequences on from the text towards the practices of audiences audiences. However, it is necessary to ask ourselves: Conventionally, representational studies have what do people do with the media? In which ways do focused on analyzing how audiences are represented the relationships established by the audiences with in the texts that media produce. For example, how the media and their geographical context determine media shape the identity of gender (Antezana, 2011; evaluations on the content and its role in their daily Bachmann & Correa 2013; Byerly & Ross, 2006; van lives? Audience studies have had a “cultural turn” Zoonen, 1994), and race (Correa, 2010; Hall, 2003; that has led the focus to not be in the texts that media Hooks, 1992) or social class (Heider, 2004). Now then, produce and its impact on the people, but rather in recent studies show that representation is a result of audiences’ everyday relationship with the media, the negotiation between the audiences’ agency (what from the point of view of the practices (Martín they say when becoming a news source), the structure Barbero, 2001; García Canclini, 1997). The interest of the media system and the role of journalists in the in said practices leads to examine the regularity construction of information (Awad, 2014). From the of media use, the motivations that lead people to perspective of information production, as the focus is on interact with them and, finally, how people define the texts, the study of media representation addresses media, as a shared social construction (Couldry, diversity - which is associated with media ownership 2012, pp. 33-35). and the variety of content and ideologies presented - One of the key aspects in the appropriation of media and the representativeness of the diversity of social actors content and the re-signification by audiences is related (Napoli, 2001). These dimensions are closely related. to the geographical context and the construction of For example, ownership concentration reduces the local identity (Lindell & Jansson, 2012). Meaning, in number and type of voices that appear as part of the which ways do the individuals’ practices in relation to content of the media. Similarly, the concentration in one media reinforce or not their local identity? physical location of mass media ownership (such as, Through a qualitative methodology based on daily for example, large cities), also affects the centralization life diaries and in depth interviews, this study explores of the thematic media agenda (the news are only those the practices of appropriation of various means of associated with large cities) (Napoli, 2001). communication in relation to the construction of Several authors have characterized the Chilean the local identity of people. In addition, it addresses media system on two levels. The first relates to the perceptions of representation through the audiences’ centrality acquired by the concentration of economic discourses and uses they give to the media. and political power in a few organizations. Thus, the national media would move at the level of “ideological THEORETICAL DISCUSSION monopoly”, while international conglomerates Traditionally, the study of the relationship between with a presence in the country would operate as media and audience is focused on addressing the first as an entertainment industry, attempting against the producers of “texts” that are decoded by the audiences diversity of ideas (Del Valley, 2006). The second level (Hall, 1973; 1980). Now, audience studies have taken a is associated with the centralization that exists in “cultural turn”, where the focus is on understanding how terms of geography - mainly in the Metropolitan people relate to the media beyond the texts produced Region - of media outlets (Sunkel & Geoffrey, 2001). (Martín Barbero, 2001; García Canclini, 1997). In This characterization reflects existing definitions this sense, studying the media from “practices” means in relation to pluralism in the media system. The understanding them “not as text, objects or productive concentration of media ownership in Chile gives an organizations, but observe what people do in relation account of the low levels of external pluralism (greater CUADERNOS.INFO Nº 37 / DECEMBER 2015 / ISSN 0719-3661 / E-VERSION: WWW.CUADERNOS.INFO / ISSN 0719-367X 64 ARRIAGADA, A., CORREA, T., SCHERMAN, A. y ABARZÚA, J. Santiago is not Chile ownership diversity implies more external pluralism While the approach from the perspective of the in a media system). Likewise, the concentration and practices focuses on what they do with media audiences homogeneity that affects the Chilean media system and in what contexts, the representation approach is also seen in their informative agendas (what is concentrates on the producers of those texts and in the understood as internal pluralism). Valenzuela and ideologies transmitted by them that shape the identity Arriagada (2009; 2011) compared the agendas of of individuals. If from the “practices” perspective the television news and print media between the years interest is in a vertical view, “from bottom to top”, 2000 and 2005. The levels of correlation between the meaning, what people do with the media to, from agendas of television and newspapers reached values there, deal with how they feel represented in the of 0.83; meaning, the consensus among the thematic contents seen in the media according to the contexts agendas of newspapers and television in that period that relate to them; the representation approach view exceeded 80%. Similarly,