Alvear, FJ and Lugo-Ocando, J orcid.org/0000-0002-9533-2088 (2018) When Geopolitics becomes Moral Panic: El Mercurio and the use of international news as propaganda against Salvador Allende’s Chile (1970–1973). Media History, 24 (3-4). pp. 528-546. ISSN 1368-8804
Abstract
This article analyses how geopolitics was used to create moral panic during Salvador Allende’s government in Chile (1970–1973) and examines the type of recursive devices—such as geopolitical strategic narratives—that were employed by El Mercurio to advance specific discourses that intended to undermine the legitimacy of Allende while mobilising the public agenda towards the political right. Our thesis is that this was done by selective and framed use of international news in ways that somehow created moral panics by bringing geopolitics into the realm of the general public. In so doing, El Mercurio invisibilised important elements and effects of US Foreign Policy while highlighting similar elements and effects of the Soviet Foreign Policy. Our thesis is that in doing so, Allende’s government became associated with the ‘Red Scare’ and subsequently associated with the communist threat. This theme, we argue, remains relevant in times in which there continues to be a prevalent strategic narrative of enemies and foes in international news that continues to be used to create fear and mobilise public opinion towards the right of the political spectrum.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Media History on 23 August 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13688804.2016.1211929. |
Keywords: | Chile; El Mercurio; Moral Panics; Propaganda; International News |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Media & Communication (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 23 Jun 2016 11:25 |
Last Modified: | 13 Nov 2018 11:33 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/13688804.2016.1211929 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:101337 |