Construcción de opiniones públicas

preservación y normalización de la dependencia

Abstract

This paper aims to reflect on the relations between public opinion and the media-influencing processes. To that end, emphasis is put on the ways how media discourse put forward social representations. They do not only account for the general state of social relations, but also procure concrete social and power projects. Mechanisms and strategies whereby the media put forward representations intended to direct the public opinions are thus identified. The starting point is the assumption that the social perception phenomena, communication processes, common sense formation, and organization of ways of thinking are clearly articulated in the media. The aim is to identify the social representations contributing to legitimate the lines of action within the political arena as well as the construction of public opinions. Categories from the Critical Discourse Studies -CDS- are taken up in order to account for the links between media, discourse, power, and public opinions. Two press reports were selected for an exploratory-type analysis, among a corpus for a broader research.