Sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality in news stories on civilisations and cultures broadcast by Spanish television

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2016-1136

Keywords:

Interpretation, audience, experts, discourse analysis, focus groups, Delphi

Abstract

This paper analyzes several Spanish TV news about sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality to explore how these news are interpreted by audiences and experts. Methodology. We have used three complementary methods. First, we have conducted a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of different sexual, religious and intercultural identities portrayed by the TV news. We have also analyzed how audiences interpret these news through focus groups. Finally, we have used a delphi method to analyze the interpretation of TV experts. Results and Discussion. The CDA illustrated common stereotypes identified by audiences and experts. Conclusions. Audiences and experts were very critical with TV news and perceived the limitations and stereotypes portrayed. However, older audiences used the same stereotypes demonstrated in the focus groups. In general, this study shows that when receivers interpret sensitive issues, they trend to accept or reject media discourses, letting little space for the negotiation of meanings.

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Author Biographies

Miquel Rodrigo-Alsina, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona

Bachelor in Information Sciences and Law by Autonomous University of Barcelona. Phd in Information Sciences by Autonomous University of Barcelona. He teaches Communication Theory in Autonomous University of Barcelona since 1986, and in Pompeu Fabra University since 2006.

He has published over a hundred papers in academic journals. He also wrote a dozen books and 61 book chapters. His lines of research are intercultural communication, communication and emotions and communication theory.

He was a visiting scholar in Indiana University and Saint Louis University (U.S.A.), in René Descartes University (Paris) and in University of Westminster (U.K.). He also gave courses and lectures in about twenty national and international universities. 

Leonarda García-Jimenez, University of Murcia

Phd in Communication, Communication Theory teacher in Murcia University and Affiliate Faculty in Colorado State University’s (U.S.A.) department of communication. She was also teacher in Colorado Boulder University (U.S.A.) and in Catholic University of Murcia. Furthermore, she also tought and did research in México, Colombia and Switzerland.

She wrote more than thirty papers, book chapters and books in the field of communication theory and epistemology, and media and culture theory. Her research has been published in high impact factor academic journals and publishing houses such as Communication Monographs, International Journal of Communication, European Journal of Communication, Studies in Communication Sciences, Tecnos, Routledge and McGraw Hill, among others.

She participates in international congresses (International Communication Association, International Association for Media and Communication Research o National Communication Association), peer-review high impact factor journals and takes part in several R&D national and european projects.

Josep Gifreu-Pinsach, Pompeu Fabra University

Journalist, Communication Theory professor and emeritus profesor of Pompeu Fabra University. He is also researcher and culture and political communication counselor.

He was dean and founder of Pompeu Fabra University’s Audiovisual Communication Studies, founder of UNICA (Research group in Audiovisual Communication) and coordinator of OPA (Audiovisual Production Observatory). Formerly, he taught in Autonomous University of Barcelona and was director of its Journalism Department.

His research lines are culture and communication politics, the catalan space of communication, cinema and audiovisual and political communication.

Lorena Gómez-Puertas, Pompeu Fabra University

Phd in Social Communication and bachelor in Audiovisual Communication by Pompeu Fabra University.

She is actualy teaching Communication Theories, Mass Culture Theory, Politics and Communication, Public Opinion and Discourse Analysis, all of them are part of Pompeu Fabra University’s communication department Bachelors and Master Degrees. She is also associate professor in Public Relations School, attached to Barcelona University since 2004.

She also participates in touristic communication, new technologies and intercultural communication through T.V. projects. Her research lines are political communication and the mediatic construction of social discourses.

Frederic Guerrero-Solé, Pompeu Fabra University

Phd in Public Communication and professor in Pompeu Fabra University’s Communication Department since 2008. His research lines are media effects analysis and social media.

He wrote several book chapters in specialized and well-known publishing houses in the field of communication, and several papers in international indexed journals. He forms part of  the consolidated research group in audiovisual communication funded by the Generalitat of Catalunya, UNICA, since 2007.

He did a research internship in Manchester University (2010) and in Saint Petesbourg State University Journalism Faculty (2008).

Hibai López-González, Nottingham Trent University

Phd in Communication by Pompeu Fabra University and Bachelor in Audiovisual Communication by the Basque Country University. He works as postdocotral research fellow at the International Gaming Research Unit of Nottingham Trent University’s Psychology department.

His research line focuses on the analysis of advertising influence over sports gamblers. The objetive is  to create an online gaming literacy program for teenagers in risk of developing a pathological behaviour. He also coordinates with Ana Estévez of Deusto University (Bilbao) and Susana Jiménez-Murcia of Bellvitge Hospital’s Pathological Gaming Unity the following project “Commercial advertising influence on youth sports gambling risk behaviour: guide to regulators, operators, institutions and media”, funded by ONCE.

He has published his work in international journals such as International Review for the Sociology of SportJournal of the Philosophy of SportGaming Law Review and Economics, Information, Communication & Society o Media International Australia. He also takes part of Sport, Business and Management magazine editorial comitee.

Pilar Medina-Bravo, Pompeu Fabra University

Bachelor and Phd in Psychology by University of Barcelona.

She teaches Intercultural Communication, Advertising Communication and Media, Power and Gender in Pompeu Fabra University since 2008.

Her research lines are focused in media analysis from gender perspective. She is actually coordinating the following projects: “Media portrayal of unhealthy body image, developing prevention tools for children aged from 5 to 8”, “I don’t like my body” (MEDIACORP,  CSO2014-58220-R) and “Sexism in sports information: from university to news rooms”. She has published papers in academic journals such as Media, Culture and Society.

Furthermore, she taught and gave lectures in different national universities.

Antonio Pineda-Cachero, University of Sevilla

Bachelor in Advertising and Public Relation and Phd by Sevilla University, where he also received the Extraordinary Phd Award.

He is professor and researcher in the Audiovisual Communication, Advertising and Literature Department of Sevilla University, where he teaches communication and advertising courses.

His research line is focused on the study of propaganda and advertising semiotics. He has co-edited different books and wrote several papers that were published in academic journals such as Historia y Comunicación Social and Revista Latina de Comunicación Social. He also participated in academic encounters and congresses.

He published the book “Elements to a communicational theory of propaganda” (Alfar, Sevilla) in 2006.

Carles Roca-Cuberes, Pompeu Fabra University

Bachelor in psychology by Autonomous University of Barcelona and Phd in Sociology by Manchester University (U.K.).

He teaches Communication Theory and Communication Research Methods in Pompeu Fabra University since 2003. He has published 10 papers in academic journals, he also wrote 5 book chapters.

His research lines are interpersonal and mediated communication, communication theory, scientific research methodology, etnomethodology, conversation analysis and political interview analysis.

He taught and gave lectures in several national universities.

Xosé Ramón Rodríguez-Polo, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Doctor en Comunicación por la Universidad de Vigo, ha sido investigador visitante en el Departamento de Ciencia Política del Trinity College y Profesor Visitante en el Instituto de Estudos Jornalísticos de la Universidad de Coimbra.

Comenzó su carrera académica en la Universidade de Vigo. En 2006 se incorporó a la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos de Madrid, actualmente la primera Facultad de Comunicación de España tanto por número de alumnos como por su nivel de empleabilidad.

Sus líneas de investigación son la opinión pública, la comunicación política y la teoría de la comunicación.

Mònica Terribas-Sala, Pompeu Fabra University

Bachelor in Journalism by Autonomous University of Barcelona and Phd in Philosophy by Stirling University (Scotland). She was the editor of Cadena 13 radio services and then she started working as coordinator, writer, and director in catalan public T.V. (TV3) . She received several awards like the National Award of Journalism in 2003.

She has been presenter in many televisión programs and editor of the catalan newspaper “Ara”. She is currently professor in the area of Communication Theory in the Communication Department of Pompeu Fabra University.

Her research lines are the relation between media and cultural and collective  identity, public sphere representation and quality and televisión.

Rafael Ventura-Álvarez, Pompeu Fabra University

Bachelor in Advertising and Public Relations by Jaume I University of Castellón (UJI),  International Master Degree in Peace, Conflicts and Development Studies (UJI), Master Degree in Social Communication by Pompeu Fabra University and a Postgraduate Degree in Intercultural Relations and Cultural Diversity Management. He is currently pursuing his Phd in Communication at Pompeu Fabra University.

He did research internships in several european, northamerican and latinoamerican universities (Leicester, San Francisco and México). He participated in many international congresses and research projects funded by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and the Instituto de la Mujer.

His research lines are gender studies and sexuality, communication for social change and consumerism and reception analysis.

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Published

2016-11-01

How to Cite

Rodrigo-Alsina, M., García-Jimenez, L., Gifreu-Pinsach, J., Gómez-Puertas, L., Guerrero-Solé, F., López-González, H. ., … Ventura-Álvarez, R. . (2016). Sexuality, gender, religion and interculturality in news stories on civilisations and cultures broadcast by Spanish television. Revista Latina De Comunicación Social, (71), 1090–1107. https://doi.org/10.4185/RLCS-2016-1136

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