Abstract

On television news, exemplification is almost inevitable, as newscast cannot represent reality but through a particular object that is caught on camera: the only way to signify something abstract on television is precisely through a concrete particularity. The present study analyzes the main stories in a sample of national broadcast news in Chile, where broadcast news remains the most important source of information. Based on a content analysis, results show that particular case reports are widespread in Chilean television news, especially in hard news stories about the economy and crime. They also further evidence on the homogenization of television coverage between commercially run private and public broadcasters. Findings are linked to past research in the Latin American theoretical tradition that underscores the relevance of vivid and emotional representation on television.