Morbo: discursos sobre contemplación y emisión de violencia en informativos

Concepción Fernández Villanueva; Juan Carlos Revilla Castro; Mª Celeste Davila De Leon

doi:10.5565/rev/athenea.1941

Morbidity: discourses about broadcasting and gazing of violence on news

Authors

Concepción Fernández Villanueva Universidad Complutense https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6561-7368
Juan Carlos Revilla Castro Universidad Complutense https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6828-161X
Mª Celeste Davila De Leon Universidad Complutense https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6733-8773

Abstract

The increasing violence broadcasted by the media is subject of concern and social interest. Hard emissions frequently raise the accusation toward the mass media of fostering a morbid curiosity in the audience just to raise audience ratings. But the concept of morbid curiosity includes wide and imprecise meanings. The object of this paper is to (re)construct the meaning of morbidity and morbid curiosity in relation to the watching of serious violence in TV News programs. 16 focus groups have been object of discourse analysis after the viewing 4 videos of a violent piece of TV news. The analysis shows that the dimension of curiosity and interest vs. illness and evil is structuring the discourse; and the participants highlight the positive and legitimate effects that can be attributed to the “gaze” on violence as much as to the scenes. “Watching” with interest is necessary to get the positive effects of the broadcasting of violent images.

Keywords

Morbidity, Violence, Discourse, Communication Impact

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Author Biographies

Concepción Fernández Villanueva, Universidad Complutense

Concepción Fernandez Villanueva es Profesora Titular en el departamento de Psicología social de la Universidad Complutense y directora del Grupo de investigación Psicosociología de la violencia social y del género. Ha dirigido proyectos de investigación y publicado textos sobre teoría de la violencia, violencia de género, violencia de jóvenes. Recientemente se ocupa del análisis de la violencia en los medios de comunicación

Juan Carlos Revilla Castro, Universidad Complutense

Juan Carlos Revilla es profesor titular en el departamento de Psicología Social de la UCM. Sus principales líneas de investigación son identidad, juventud, violencia social y los estudios críticos del trabajo y las organizaciones. Es miembro de los grupos de investigación EGECO y Psicosociología de la violencia social y el género.Abrazos,

Mª Celeste Davila De Leon, Universidad Complutense

María Celeste Dávila de León es profesora en el departamento de Psicología Social de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Sus principales líneas de investigación giran en torno al estudio de la conducta prosocial y el comportamiento organizacional, y es miembro del grupo de investigación Psicosociología de la Violencia Social y del Género.