Regarding the dominant perspective in the studies of news’ symbolic-mythical dimension

Abstract

Our hypothesis is that there is a dominant investigation perspective in studies regarding journalism’s symbolic-mythical dimension, rested upon the undertstanding of mythical images as agents for status quo maintenance. Such theoretical hegemonic perspective – referred here as consensualist, as proposed by Jock Young – considers journalism as a conservative and inertial force. Therefore, this view associates the mythical-symbologies present in news to a consensus creation device, meanings circumscription and current worldviews reinforcement, without considering the mythical-symbology potential to act in social-historical-cultural transformation processes. This study intends to track variations of this perspective in both cultural-anthropological and critical-ideological approaches – demonstrating its predominance – and, indirectly, performing an epistemological critic as well as indicating the necessity of a new theoretical standpoint.