Abstract

Political talk shows -called “tertulias” (media gatherings) in Spain- are a dialogical opinion genre without a clear codification. Their wide-ranging presence and large audiences in the Spanish media system are the reason for the central role of this type of programming in radio and television. These political media gatherings allow for a flexible political discourse process. However, the selection of “opinion-makers” shows a “false” internal plurality that facilitates the spectacularization of political content through the political personification and dramatization of personal anecdotes which heighten the emotional register. In this article two daily regional TV political talk shows -one public (Televisió de Catalunya, TV3) and one private (8TV)- and one public local broadcaster (Barcelona Televisió, BTV) are analyzed to detect elements of spectacularization from the campaigns of Barcelona’s local elections (2015).

Abstract

Instagram has become an important tool for the production and distribution of political images. Our objective is to analyze its strategic management in a context of political and institutional crisis. Based on our own model of content analysis, nine thematic and formal categories associated with the spectacularization of politics during the most intense phase of the independence process in Catalonia, between June 2017 and April 2018, have been reviewed. The sample includes 188 images published by the top 10 leaders of the Catalan and Spanish political map, both in votes of their parties and followers Instagram. The results show a regular political use characterized by intense personalization and orientation towards professional issues. In addition, a use of spectacular resources is detected, such as emotional appeal, the hybridization of spaces, and the experimentation with expressive filters.