La corrupción como problema público en la televisión argentina: interacción entre medios y audiencias

Abstract

Corruption emerged as a public problem in Argentina during the 1990, promoted by emerging social groups that instituted it based on reporting strategies. Already in the 2000s, the issue stabilized in the media and public agendas, although linked to other actors, cases, and discourses. This paper aims to analyze the relationship between the media construction of corruption and its public perception in the Argentinian major cities: Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Rosario, and Mendoza. Based on a methodological approach that triangulates focus groups and a content analysis of the central news programs of channels 13 and 11 of Buenos Aires, 10 and 8 of Cordoba, 3 and 5 of Rosario and 9 and 7 of Mendoza, it is intended to analyze the mediatic and social relevance of the problem. Results evidence a high relevance of corruption in the news agendas, especially in those of the Buenos Aires media, which is consistent with some audience´s perceptions. A partisan coverage awakens a polarized and affective reception that affects the processes of victimization. Likewise, the greatervisibility of the issue in Buenos Aires raises divergences linked to the geographical variable, both at the level of content and perception. In relation to the public, results show that, although the audiences express a certain distance and disinterest, reception processes are observed that swarm between affective polarization and cognitive saturation.