Abstract

ALGUERO MONTANO, Miguel Orlando. Democracy, Informative Balance, and Electoral Pedagogy. Analysis of the Guiding Function of the Regional Newspaper La Patria in the Local Elections of October 2019. Estud. Polit. [online]. 2021, n.62, pp.241-265.  Epub Dec 17, 2021. ISSN 0121-5167.  https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.espo.n62a10.

In recent years, it has been observed that in Colombia’s regions there are difficulties in accessing the media, a deficit of information and little democratic training, and journalistic coverage is limited to the recording of news events. In this context, the role of the regional media in strengthening democracy and freedom of expression in local elections to elect governors, mayors, councilors, deputies and town councilors is important. Based on agenda setting, framing and functionalist communication theories, this research seeks to determine whether the regional newspaper La Patria of Manizales, Caldas, fulfilled its guiding role in the local elections of October 2019. The methodology was based on a qualitative approach, a content analysis of the newspaper’s publications was conducted, a survey was applied to readers and subscribers. According to the findings, it was concluded that there was indeed electoral pedagogy on the part of the newspaper, which published contents with a guiding function, but the logistic approach was more predominant than the programmatic one. There were elements for readers to vote in an informed manner and a journalistic agenda was established that prioritized the informative balance so that the candidates had equal presence in the information.

Keywords : Political Communication; Local Politics; Elections; Regional Media; Electoral Pedagogy.

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