Abstract

This research is based on a theoretical framework that merges the pragmatics of the public sphere with the political economy of communication. Starting from the premise that a democratic society should establish conditions that enable social actors affected by various issues to organize and express their voices in the media, and that the media should provide them with space, the following question arises: Do the main media outlets in Chile fulfill the function of promoting an authentic democratic public sphere? The case under study focuses on the coverage of the health crisis derived from COVID-19 in the newspapers El Mercurio and La Tercera during the year 2020, through content analysis, specifically examining recurring themes and figures on the front pages of these newspapers. The results reveal a sensationalistic treatment of the pandemic, contributing to an atmosphere of “crisis” in which space is given to official voices, but criticisms that could construct an authentic public space are omitted. Thus, the hypothesis of the political economy of communication is confirmed, in the sense that media owners, ideologically aligned with the government, will consolidate a favorable image of governmental actions.