Media success variables of social movements. The 15-M and the PAH in Spain

Abstract

The aim of this article is to compare the mainstream news media treatment of two Spanish social movements: the 15-M (or Indignados) and the Platform of People Affected by Mortgages (PAH, by its Spanish acronym). The media portrayal of the 15-M has been the subject of several studies. However, the comparative perspective has been quite absent, despite its possibilities in offering relevant information on variables that may affect how media portray social movements. With this objective, we applied a quantitative content analysis to a sample of news items published in the digital editions of the most relevant Spanish mass media. The results question the protest paradigm, given the mostly positive or neutral media treatment received by both social movements. Nevertheless, the portrayal of the PAH is significantly more favorable, which is derived from the combination of both disruptive (to attract the media) and institutional (to get positive treatment) tactics. This combination is reinforced through the PAH’s communication strategy.

Keywords

• social movements
• news media
• protest paradigm
• 15-M
• PAH