The death of Diana, Princess of Wales

mediatization and mythification

Authors

  • Isabel Simões-Ferreira Escola Superior de Comunicação Social (ESCS) - Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4000/cp.9972

Keywords:

myth, image, symbol, iconicity, epic construction, mediatization, melodrama, delusion

Abstract

This paper examines the process of mythification and epic reconstruction of Diana´s image following her death. In the broader context of the post-modern culture of images and spectacle, the emphasis is placed upon the social and political meanings underlying the TV coverage of this tragic event. The melodramatic aestheticization of Diana´s funeral is thus analysed in the context of the political sphere of the New Labour majority led by Tony Blair, and compared to the relatively minor impact produced by the funeral of one of the most outstanding Church’s figures of the twentieth century, Mother Teresa, who died a few days after Diana.

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Published

2005-06-30

How to Cite

The death of Diana, Princess of Wales: mediatization and mythification. (2005). Comunicação Pública, 1(1), 27-39. https://doi.org/10.4000/cp.9972