The mediatization of Chilean political elites: Dynamics of adaptation, autonomy and control By: María Ximena Orchard Rieiro A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Sheffield Faculty of Social Sciences Department of Journalism Studies Submission Date December 2015 2 ABSTRACT This thesis explores the relationship between Chilean political elites and the news media with the aim of better understanding how political elites in Chile have adapted to the process of mediatization of politics. Theoretically grounded within an institutionalist understanding of mediatization processes, this thesis uses a qualitative research strategy to identify the main drivers of mediatization among Chilean political elites, the operational logics structuring politicians’ and journalists’ interactions, and the dynamics of autonomy-control in the relationship between political and media actors. Findings are derived from analysis of sixty semi-structured interviews with politicians, including current and former Cabinet Ministers, parliamentarians and political party leaders, press officers working with politicians, and journalists with experience covering politics in national media outlets. This thesis identifies the core elements of a centralist, elitist and market-grounded political communication culture comprised of political and media actors that engage in routine and frequent exchanges. In doing so, it identifies cultural and structural elements moderating the process of mediatization. Additionally, this study critically examines political elites’ understandings of news media logics, including dynamics of resistance and instrumental adoption of media languages, temporalities, and routines. This is reinforced by power inequalities in the politician-journalist relationship, organisational constraints, and a strong insider culture acting against the development of journalistic autonomy. Overall, this study puts forward the idea that while the mediatization of political actors suggests constraints on political elites’ behaviour, it should not necessarily be equated with loss of autonomy in the political sphere. Additionally, it advances a multi-level approach to mediatization research that enables observation of conflicting patterns of power relations between political elites and the news media, stressing how mediatization processes are open to multiple normative outcomes. Key words: mediatization of politics, political elites, institutional logics, Chile, qualitative research. 3 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS A project of this scale has only been possible with the support of many people, who directly, indirectly and often inadvertently played an important role in keeping me on track. Firstly, I would like to thank my supervisor, Professor Ralph Negrine. He opened the door for this PhD when I was doing my MA in Political Communication. Ever since, he has always believed that I could successfully complete this task. I am indebted for his endless patience and permanent encouragement. Also, my gratitude goes to Dr Jairo Lugo-Ocando, an inspirational academic whose energy, good humour and unerring insights were always welcome. Thank you for pushing me to abandon my comfort zone. Thanks to all the interviewees who donated their time and experiences and without whom none of this could have been possible. Within the Department of Journalism Studies, many people have left a mark throughout this journey. I would like to express my gratitude to Dr Scott Eldridge for his unfailing goodwill to help, listen and offer a word of reassurance, and extend that to Professor Martin Conboy, Professor Jackie Harrison, Dr John Steel and Dr Emma Briant, for being ready to offer helpful insights and encouraging my academic development. To my colleagues Sara García, Antonio Brambila, Steven Harkins, Sara Fayyad, Xuelian Jin, Divya Jah, Chrysi Dagoula, Francesca Di Renzo: thanks for making this journey lighter; for sharing experiences, projects and friendship. To those who were accessible and open to offering a helpful hand, guidance or encouragement at different points of the PhD process: Rodrigo Uribe, Martin Smith, Arturo Arriagada, Cecilia Osorio, Ximena Poo, Ben Meehan and my lovely tutor Kerry Abrams. Last but not least, thanks to my talented sister Macarena, who has been an enduring source of love, complicity and inspiration. To my dear Pomodoro Team: Marcia Vera, Maria Jesús Inostroza and Pía Tabali. Thanks for keeping me sane and being an unrivalled support network during my time in Sheffield. A mis padres, por su preocupación, amor y apoyo constante. A mis hermanos, sobrinos, cuñados y suegros, por hacernos sentir que el mundo es un lugar pequeño. A mi abuela Blanca, por decirme lo que necesitaba escuchar. To my husband Claudio; thanks for being prepared to take part on this journey; for your love, incredible patience and unyielding support. To my sons Tomás and Julián, for being the light and the meaning for it all. Ximena 5 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................. 5 TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 13 1.1 Problem statement ..................................................................................................... 16 1.2 Significance of the study ............................................................................................. 20 1.3 Research questions, aim and scope of the study ....................................................... 22 1.4 Overview of the chapters ........................................................................................... 25 CHAPTER 2 LOCATING THE CASE: CHILE AND THE DEMOCRATIC CHALLENGE ................................... 29 2.1. Mapping the key players: the institutional framework of Chilean politics ................ 32 2.1.1. Main political coalitions…………………………………………………………………………………..33 2.2. Mapping the key players: Description of the Chilean media ecology ........................ 37 2.3. The endless transition: from authoritarian to transitional enclaves ......................... 45 2.3.1. Legal-procedural dimension ............................................................................... 47 2.3.2. Actor-based dimension ...................................................................................... 49 2.3.3. Civic dimension .................................................................................................. 54 2.4. Modernization vs. democratization: two tales on transitional media ...................... 57 2.4.1. On media diversity in democratic Chile ............................................................... 60 2.4.2. On media independence ..................................................................................... 62 2.4.3. Chilean journalism: in search of professional identity ........................................ 65 2.5. Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 68 CHAPTER 3 MEDIATIZATION OF POLITICS: LOGICS OF ACTION, AUTONOMY AND CONTROL ............. 71 3.1. What is the mediatization of politics: theoretical foundations ................................. 73 3.1.1. Differentiation theory and the mediatization of politics .................................... 80 7 3.1.2. New institutionalism and the mediatization of politics ...................................... 85 3.2. Main dimensions of mediatized politics: towards a working definition .................... 89 3.2.1 On the logics of action and news making ............................................................. 91 3.2.1.1. On the logics of action and political decision making…………………………….…..97 3.2.2 The issue of media autonomy ............................................................................ 100 3.2.3 About media resources ...................................................................................... 104 3.2.4 Adaptive responses: submission or attempts at control? .................................. 107 3.2.5 Towards a working definition of mediatization of politics ................................. 109 3.3 Are Chilean political elites mediatized? .................................................................... 111 3.3.1 The “modern” Chilean news media and the quality of autonomy ..................... 112 3.3.2 Political elites and party politics media-dependency ........................................ 118 3.4 Concluding remarks and locating the research gap .................................................. 122 CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................................... 127 4.1. Epistemic stance and core theoretical assumptions ............................................... 128 4.2. Research problem & research questions ................................................................. 130 4.3. Research strategy: a qualitative interpretive framework ........................................ 137 4.4. Research methods .................................................................................................... 140 4.4.1.