The Pro-Independence Movement in Catalonia: Impact on the International Agenda and Media Pluralism

Abstract

This chapter analyses the media coverage of the Catalan pro-independence movement, focusing on its impact on the media agenda and on the pluralism of the coverage. Adopting both a quantitative and qualitative approach, the study evaluates just under 4,800 news items and other samples of commentary from Catalonia, Spain and the international media. The timeframe begins with the National Day of Catalonia in 2012 (11 September) and ends just after the elections to the Catalan Parliament on 25 November of the same year. This was the point at which the Catalan independence movement became a major international news story. An analysis of the articles generated reveals the increasing polarization in Spain, but also the efforts of the Catalan media to adopt a more pluralist approach to the societal divisions.