Between technicalities and ritual practices: contemporary forms of performance in television newscasts

Abstract

Seeking to contribute to the methodological refinement of the analysis of television shows, this paper proposes an approach to newscasts that considers the communication dimension and favors the interpretation of their material, cultural, and symbolic forms. This study focuses on analyzing reporters’ performances that foster a virtual interaction with the viewer and generate subjective areas that contrast with the normative discourse on field practices. The article suggests a path to television analysis that considers the dialogue between cultural studies and semiotics. By presenting empirical work, it also identifies possible links between established formal marks and new forms of performance in the Brazilian television news network.