Nostalgic representation of reality in television fiction: an empirical study based on the analysis of the Spanish television series Cu��ntame c��mo pas��

The Spanish transition from dictatorship to democracy is often described as an example of negotiation or agreement between the elites (S��nchez Cuenca and Aguilar, 2009: 433). Journalistic and political elites, aware of their important historical role, agreed a consensus on certain issues (democracy, constitution, amnesty) or characters (King Juan Carlos I), in order to ensure the stability of the democratic process (Zugasti, 2007, 2008). Television, which articulates the discourse of the masses, has been one of the basic means used to illustrate the development. Among the highlights of recent major audiovisual content, Cu��ntame c��mo pas�� (2001-present) -a TV-series designed to explain changes with a nostalgic tone in Spanish society since 1968 until today- stands out. By choosing a random sample of episodes for this research we propose to verify the validity of the representation of the political process which contextualizes the series. By analyzing many elements, such as the opinions of the main characters, their personal, political and geographical situations, we try to show the construction of a focal point that sanctifies the official version. We also stress the pacifying and nostalgic tone, which constructs stereotypes and taboos about the process and which characterizes this series as a symbolic culmination of the democratization undertaken by the elites.

Riesgos medioambientales en los espacios informativos: an��lisis cualitativo de la televisi��n espa��ola

Dada la influencia fundamental de los medios de comunicaci��n en la difusi��n de amenazas y riesgos, nuestro objetivo es analizar el discurso medi��tico en torno a un riesgo en particular: el medioambiental. A partir de una muestra de 84 programas informativos emitidos en las tres cadenas de televisi��n espa��olas con mayores ��ndices de audiencia a nivel nacional, se ha localizado y analizado un total de 138 noticias, todas ellas relativas al medio ambiente y la naturaleza. La informaci��n recogida ha sido codificada y clasificada de acuerdo a cuatro tem��ticas: causas, consecuencias, soluciones y referencias a problemas medioambientales. En t��rminos generales, las noticias tienden a centrarse en eventos concretos y a mostrar preferencia por contenidos emocionales, de entretenimiento o anecd��ticos, frente a explicaciones en torno a soluciones, consecuencias y, sobre todo, causas de los problemas medioambientales.

Gender portrayals in food commercials: a content analysis of Spanish television advertisements

Content analysis of media messages from a gender perspective has a long tradition. In the particular field of advertising, most of the researches have been focused on generic samples of advertisements or on the advertising traditionally associated to a masculine or a feminine audience. However, few authors have analyzed gender contents in food advertising, in spite of the close relationship between gender structures and the social processes of food purchase and preparation. Thus, gender representations in food advertising broadcast in Spanish television are analyzed in this article. The main results obtained show clear gender differences. For example, there is a clear predominance of masculine voices over and a more balanced situation regarding protagonists. Besides, feminine protagonists are more frequently located indoors, portrayed as attractive women and connected to advertising claims related to beauty or to the healthy qualities of the product.

Culture Industries in a Postindustrial Age: Entertainment, Leisure, Creativity, Design

This article reviews the evolution of the concept of culture industries, when neither industry nor culture themselves are today what they were at the time when the term was coined. It attempts to explain the dilution of the term into more nebulous terms (���leisure industries,��� ���entertainment industries��� or ���creative industries���) and suggests new challenges for the research on culture industries. What is at stake is no longer an application of a Fordist production to culture, a one-directional mass communication and a mediation by experts, but rather: (1) a cultural experience which is no longer clearly separated from other activities (leisure in general, consumption and even work); (2) the communicative explosion of all industrial production in a media environment, where industrialized symbolic products are mixed with culturalized industrial products; and (3) the empowerment of the recipient, which on one hand ignores the traditional experts and on the other leads to post-productive (recreational and even creative) cultural practices.

���Branded webseries���. Acciones estrat��gicas del anunciante basadas en la ficci��n ���online��� corporativa y el ���marketing��� de contenidos

Desde anta��o, anunciantes y marcas se han adherido a los contenidos audiovisuales, televisivos y cinematogr��ficos, a trav��s del patrocinio de producci��n, emplazamiento publicitario y bartering. Se trata de una estrategia b��sicamente accesible a presupuestos prominentes. Pero los cambios en la comunicaci��n y la democratizaci��n de la creaci��n y difusi��n de contenidos han abierto esta t��ctica al resto de anunciantes cuyas partidas publicitarias tratan de unir valores de marca y entretenimiento a trav��s de las branded webseries. Se presenta un estudio de car��cter exploratorio sobre la creaci��n, difusi��n, promoci��n, recepci��n y socializaci��n de webseries, historias de marcas basadas en la ficci��n y en el uso de Internet. Desde la triangulaci��n metodol��gica, se aborda el estudio del caso de Risi y las tres temporadas de la webserie ��Por qu�� esperar? mediante las entrevistas en profundidad con sus creadores, el an��lisis descriptivo de estas, as�� como el an��lisis cuantitativo de la audiencia y sus interacciones. Los resultados comparativos permiten describir el uso de la creatividad, los personajes famosos afines al p��blico objetivo y el efecto generado por este tipo de historias generadoras de engagement.