Abstract

The concept of museum communication is examined from the perspective of the professionals in charge of this task, characterizing the practical circumstances, perceptions, and specifics of the communication area. Through a series of interviews with managers of a group of Chilean museums, we identified elements to consider and problems that often affect museum communications in general, despite the diversity of these institutions. In the museums examined, we observed different ways of understanding the concept of communication. Such differences are linked to geographical location, ownership or affiliation, as well as other dimensions of the museum such as mission, objectives of the institution, and the communications vision.

Abstract

The factors that affect users as they search for health information and conduct a self-diagnosis online among a nationally representative sample of Chileans with internet access were analysed. The results indicate that three groups of variables largely explain this phenomenon: 1) the experiences that users had when commenting to their doctors about what they found online; 2) individual-psychological aspects such as pre-existing medical conditions; and 3) technological factors such as confidence and efficacy regarding internet use. Our research showed that this is a growing trend: more than 90% of respondents said that during the last year they had searched for health information on the internet at least once, while 85% said they had revised their symptoms and self-diagnosed.

Abstract

The mediatization of political scandals has become a common phenomenon in the most diverse political systems. However, we know little about how the media frame this information. To answer this question, we have developed a descriptive study on a series of recent political scandals denounced in the Chilean press. Taking as a temporary framework the news published between 2014 and 2016, we analyzed the total information (n=10011) published by a sample of eleven national media, on seven political scandals that occurred during the period. We have used the QDAMiner-Wordstat program to detect frame terms, from which we have been able to identify two large frames: one referring to the “Judicialization of cases” and the other referred to the “Attribution of responsibilities”. The results are presented and discussed, examining some implications of the exercise for the understanding of the political scandals themselves and the way in which the Chilean periodic press presents and disseminates them.