A política na mídia, a política da mídia: a cobertura das eleições presidenciais de 2006 nas rádios CBN e Band News FM

Abstract

In behavior studies of the media during election times, this research investigated the editorial policy of all news Band News FM and CBN radios, regarding the coverage of the 2006 presidential campaign in Brazil. Starting from theories on journalism as construction or as amirror of reality; the fundamental ethical and technical elements of the professional activity; the conditions of production; and forms of information control, this research tried to ascertain if the two broadcasters offered a opinion-free, balanced and objective journalism. We tried to understand the content and the meaning of the media discourse, working in the selection of themes and sources of news on the election campaign, analysing the degree of scheduling and frameworks of policy issues in order to check the balance of the journalistic coverage the electoral dispute in the two radio stations. The main conclusion that we reached is that there was more political role of media in covering the electoral process (media policy) than the production process of news about political events (politics in the media), according to the requirements for exemption, the balance and objectivity required to practice journalism.