Constructing a hero during the COVID-19 pandemic

the representation of the coordinator of the vaccination Task Force in public service TV in Portugal

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.778

Keywords:

media character, narrative, hero, TV, COVID-19 vaccination

Abstract

This article analyzes the character in journalism narratives through a case study of television coverage. Based on the theoretical frameworks of Media Narrative Studies (Mesquita, 2003; Lits, 2008; Reis, 2015; 2018; Peixinho, 2021) and considering previous studies on the news coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic (Peixinho et al., 2022; Lopes et al., 2021), the construction of the media character of the coordinator of the task force for vaccination against COVID-19, between February 3 and September 27, 2021, is analyzed. The analysis focused on RTP's prime time news, and allows concluding that: i)  the character is represented as an exceptional being; ii) this exceptionality stems from antagonisms that constitute episodes of the narrative; iii) the themes of the news pieces in which the figure appears are less controversial and less likely to generate controversy; iv) the character's path is equivalent to the archetypal path of a hero; v) the construction of the hero helps building trust in the vaccination process.

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Author Biographies

  • Ana Teresa Peixinho, University of Coimbra

    Associate Professor with Habilitation at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Coimbra (UC) and researcher at CEIS20 (Communication, Journalism, and Public Space Group). She holds a PhD in Communication Sciences from UC. She conducts research in Media Narrative Studies and Press History. She is also a collaborator at the Portuguese Literature Center, where she is part of the Critical Edition of the Works of Eça de Queirós team and the " Figuras da Ficção" project.

  • Clara Santos, University of Coimbra

    Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Coimbra (UC) and researcher at CEIS20 (Communication, Journalism, and Public Space Group). She holds a PhD in Communication Sciences. She served as Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra for Culture, Communication, Heritage, and Alumni Affairs from 2011 to 2018. Trained as a journalist, she worked at Canal de Notícias de Lisboa and SIC, primarily in roles at SIC Online. She has participated in various European projects related to media diversity and gender equality. She was a member of the Commission that developed the White Book on Public Media Service. Her main academic interests are digital media, communication and networks, image and communication, media representations, and storytelling.

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Published

2023-12-15

Issue

Vol. 18 No. 35 (2023): Number with Special Issue

Section

SPECIAL ISSUE: Journalism in contemporary society: 20 years of O Quarto Equívoco

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How to Cite

Constructing a hero during the COVID-19 pandemic: the representation of the coordinator of the vaccination Task Force in public service TV in Portugal. (2023). Comunicação Pública, 18(35). https://doi.org/10.34629/cpublica.778