Miguel Hernández communication journal/Miguel Hernández communication journal, Jan 31, 2024
This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about... more This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about trans people in the Spanish context. We focus on the socio-cultural impact of the TV series 'Veneno' (2020, Atresmedia) in relation to the breaking down of the spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann, 1993) on trans issues. Based on Esteban Muñoz's (2020) theoretical approach to queer temporalities, we conducted a 'close reading' analysis (Brummett 2018) of the diachronic narrative of the television series. Through a linear observation of the past, present and future of media representation and its relationship with the real-life situation of trans people, an evolution is detected from ostracism and fetishization in the past, to a future shift towards greater normalization and livable life forms. But the results also reveal a spiral of meanings that interconnect with different temporalities and contexts, reflecting the non-linear nature of queer temporalities. Additionally, the paper discusses how this series, due to its media impact, has contributed to socio-political public debate on the need to address the rights of trans people in modern-day Spanish society. Finally, its impact not only relies on improving trans visibility by portraying trans narratives, but we also discuss how the series is playing an important role in queering the media industry itself, ensuring trans people to work both in front and behind the cameras.
Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, ac... more Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, acting as platforms that define the standards of such masculinities. The objective of this article is to understand the role that MDAs play among young users in the construction of masculinity through body image. The data were collected from 40 semi-structured interviews to male users of MDAs, divided in four groups of age (18–25 and 40+ years old) and sexuality (gay and heterosexual) to compare their experiences and discourses. Results show that, despite muscularity being viewed as a sign of status in all groups and very prevalent in the gay group, users challenge its hegemony by questioning the use of enhancement drugs and the cult-like mentality of muscular users. Gay interviewees also discuss the prevalence of objectification and sexualization in gay culture, but younger users talk about challenging them in their self-presentation. Finally, age seems to give confidence to heterosexual users, while the reverse happens in our gay group. However, in their answers, age and socio-economic status are sometimes conflated. gay youth
Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, ac... more Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, acting as platforms that define the standards of such masculinities. The objective of this article is to understand the role that MDAs play among young users in the construction of masculinity through body image. The data were collected from 40 semi-structured interviews to male users of MDAs, divided in four groups of age (18–25 and 40+ years old) and sexuality (gay and heterosexual) to compare their experiences and discourses. Results show that, despite muscularity being viewed as a sign of status in all groups and very prevalent in the gay group, users challenge its hegemony by questioning the use of enhancement drugs and the cult-like mentality of muscular users. Gay interviewees also discuss the prevalence of objectification and sexualization in gay culture, but younger users talk about challenging them in their self-presentation. Finally, age seems to give confidence to heterosexual users, while the reverse happens in our gay group. However, in their answers, age and socio-economic status are sometimes conflated.
This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about... more This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about trans people in the Spanish context. We focus on the socio-cultural impact of the TV series 'Veneno' (2020, Atresmedia) in relation to the breaking down of the spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann, 1993) on trans issues. Based on Esteban Muñoz's (2020) theoretical approach to queer temporalities, we conducted a 'close reading' analysis (Brummett 2018) of the diachronic narrative of the television series. Through a linear observation of the past, present and future of media representation and its relationship with the real-life situation of trans people, an evolution is detected from ostracism and fetishization in the past, to a future shift towards greater normalization and livable life forms. But the results also reveal a spiral of meanings that interconnect with different temporalities and contexts, reflecting the non-linear nature of queer temporalities. Additionally, the paper discusses how this series, due to its media impact, has contributed to socio-political public debate on the need to address the rights of trans people in modern-day Spanish society. Finally, its impact not only relies on improving trans visibility by portraying trans narratives, but we also discuss how the series is playing an important role in queering the media industry itself, ensuring trans people to work both in front and behind the cameras.
There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time ... more There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time scrutiny of trans people is intensifying in social and public debate, and the correspondence between this increased presence in the media and improvements in the trans community’s rights is in dispute. This research aims to find out how trans audiences relate to their portrayal in TV series, to learn about their perceptions and opinions, and to understand how these depictions affect their everyday lives. A qualitative analysis was conducted of 19 trans people in two focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the participants perceive a clear distance between their realities and the most popular narratives about trans lives. They identify cispassing as a transversal element that drives the production, creation, and distribution of media narratives, leading to a transnormative representation. Consequently, the trans audience demands the inclusion of trans people in the (audiovisual) cultural circuit in order to combat the ‘cis gaze’ and to create more diverse narratives.
There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time ... more There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time scrutiny of trans people is intensifying in social and public debate, and the correspondence between this increased presence in the media and improvements in the trans community's rights is in dispute. This research aims to find out how trans audiences relate to their portrayal in TV series, to learn about their perceptions and opinions, and to understand how these depictions affect their everyday lives. A qualitative analysis was conducted of 19 trans people in two focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the participants perceive a clear distance between their realities and the most popular narratives about trans lives. They identify cispassing as a transversal element that drives the production, creation, and distribution of media narratives, leading to a transnormative representation. Consequently, the trans audience demands the inclusion of trans people in the (audiovisual) cultural circuit in order to combat the 'cis gaze' and to create more diverse narratives.
Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follo... more Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follow the cisheteronormative mandates. To face these dialectics, the media can offer alternative discourses, in particular by providing realistic and non‐stereotyped LGBTQ+ representations. Media portrayals can be seen as both positive and negative. On one hand, they may offer stereotypical and narrow representations, but on the other, they can include representations that can become aspirational models and improve visibility. The objective of this article is to explore this second perspective by analyzing the representation of Jules, a trans female character from the American series Euphoria (Levinson et al., 2019–present). To this end, we conducted a close reading analysis (Castelló, 2008) of the first season of the series. The results show three axes of representation that move away from the traditional portrayal of trans characters: (a) a narrative that moves beyond the “trans fact” and presents complex and plural stories, (b) a representation of the trans individual as an element of value and love, away from fetishism, and (c) a link between the trans realm and specific spaces of comfort and freedom.
Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolvi... more Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolving, especially when it comes to their establishment as a new formal area of education regulated by the university system. As GCS cover a very wide range of communication-related issues, it is necessary to demarcate their scope to differentiate them from studies of journalism, public relations, advertising and audiovisual communication, and to place special emphasis on learning competencies. Methods. A survey was applied to a sample of 266 communication professionals, teachers and students to assess, through a 5-point Likert scale, the degree of importance given to 62 competencies associated with the exercise of their professional activities. Results and discussion. The survey results point to a formulation of GCS that is less associated with the technical aspects of the communication sector, and more strongly linked to the political and sociological aspects of communication. There is als...
This study was carried out in three Iberian-American countries, Colombia, Spain and Venezuela, to... more This study was carried out in three Iberian-American countries, Colombia, Spain and Venezuela, to identify the stereotypes of love and gender professed among youth and compare them to those they prefer in television fiction series, i.e., those able to influence their identities and values. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the study involved a survey of 485 first-year university students, and a qualitative analysis of the media representations preferred by them. The results showed a preference for "amor ludens", based on enjoyment and the present moment, and a gap between the cognitive and emotional spheres of some youth who consider themselves distant from stereotypical, heteronormative and patriarchal models, but who choose media representations that match these models and the traditional gender portrayals.
This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the resear... more This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the research tradition of the ethnomethodological approach of membership categorization analysis, our main analytical concerns are (i) to understand the logic of practical reasoning and intelligibility involved in the production of the news story; (ii) to examine how this intelligibility is generated and what resources – such as commonsense knowledge of the social structures – are used to make the news story communicable; and (iii) to explore how specific forms of categorization employed in the news story are used to induce certain readings or to promote certain worldviews. The news story analyzed describes the progressive increase of foreign participants at the San Fermín running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It also highlights the still minority participation by women at this massive event. The results of the analysis show that both “foreigners” and “women” are presented as being in the wrong...
This article contributes to the debates around toxic fan practices by focusing on the regulation ... more This article contributes to the debates around toxic fan practices by focusing on the regulation and management strategies activated intra-fandom in order to combat fan toxicity. In particular, the social media boycott campaign against the teen series The 100 (The CW, 2014-) is examined after the death of a popular lesbian character in March 2016. This event propelled an online movement termed ‘LGBT Fans Deserve Better’, dedicated to improving the representation of lesbian and bisexual women on television and of characters infamously subjected to the occurrence of the ‘Dead Lesbian Syndrome’ trope. To frame this study, we discuss television representation of lesbian love and its effects on young queer females, and draw some necessary conceptual distinctions within what we call the spectrum of conflict formed by fan-tagonism, anti-fandom, and toxic fan practices, and how that spectrum relates to current research on fan activism. Then we apply a qualitative methodology based on ground...
Esta tesis doctoral esta elaborada alrededor de un compendio de 4 publicaciones. El objetivo es a... more Esta tesis doctoral esta elaborada alrededor de un compendio de 4 publicaciones. El objetivo es abordar de una manera holistica los LGBT/Queer Media Studies y contribuir a su desarrollo como campo academico. Se trata de un campo emergente que combina los estudios sobre la diversidad sexual y de genero con los estudios de los medios de comunicacion. De este modo, en la tesis se explican tanto los aportes de la teoria queer y los estudios gays y lesbianos, como los que ofrecen las teorias de la comunicacion. Las publicaciones incluidas en el compendio abordan cuestiones relacionadas con la representacion de personas LGBT en los medios de comunicacion, tanto en contenido informativo como en ficcion, y los efectos que produce en la audiencia, tanto en la general como en la LGBT de manera especifica. En concreto, recogen algunos de los temas mas actuales en el estudio de los LGBT/Queer Media Studies, como las familias homoparentales formadas por gestacion subrogada o el Sindrome de la Le...
Miguel Hernández communication journal/Miguel Hernández communication journal, Jan 31, 2024
This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about... more This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about trans people in the Spanish context. We focus on the socio-cultural impact of the TV series 'Veneno' (2020, Atresmedia) in relation to the breaking down of the spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann, 1993) on trans issues. Based on Esteban Muñoz's (2020) theoretical approach to queer temporalities, we conducted a 'close reading' analysis (Brummett 2018) of the diachronic narrative of the television series. Through a linear observation of the past, present and future of media representation and its relationship with the real-life situation of trans people, an evolution is detected from ostracism and fetishization in the past, to a future shift towards greater normalization and livable life forms. But the results also reveal a spiral of meanings that interconnect with different temporalities and contexts, reflecting the non-linear nature of queer temporalities. Additionally, the paper discusses how this series, due to its media impact, has contributed to socio-political public debate on the need to address the rights of trans people in modern-day Spanish society. Finally, its impact not only relies on improving trans visibility by portraying trans narratives, but we also discuss how the series is playing an important role in queering the media industry itself, ensuring trans people to work both in front and behind the cameras.
Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, ac... more Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, acting as platforms that define the standards of such masculinities. The objective of this article is to understand the role that MDAs play among young users in the construction of masculinity through body image. The data were collected from 40 semi-structured interviews to male users of MDAs, divided in four groups of age (18–25 and 40+ years old) and sexuality (gay and heterosexual) to compare their experiences and discourses. Results show that, despite muscularity being viewed as a sign of status in all groups and very prevalent in the gay group, users challenge its hegemony by questioning the use of enhancement drugs and the cult-like mentality of muscular users. Gay interviewees also discuss the prevalence of objectification and sexualization in gay culture, but younger users talk about challenging them in their self-presentation. Finally, age seems to give confidence to heterosexual users, while the reverse happens in our gay group. However, in their answers, age and socio-economic status are sometimes conflated. gay youth
Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, ac... more Mobile dating apps (MDAs) generate spaces where masculinities are (co)produced and reproduced, acting as platforms that define the standards of such masculinities. The objective of this article is to understand the role that MDAs play among young users in the construction of masculinity through body image. The data were collected from 40 semi-structured interviews to male users of MDAs, divided in four groups of age (18–25 and 40+ years old) and sexuality (gay and heterosexual) to compare their experiences and discourses. Results show that, despite muscularity being viewed as a sign of status in all groups and very prevalent in the gay group, users challenge its hegemony by questioning the use of enhancement drugs and the cult-like mentality of muscular users. Gay interviewees also discuss the prevalence of objectification and sexualization in gay culture, but younger users talk about challenging them in their self-presentation. Finally, age seems to give confidence to heterosexual users, while the reverse happens in our gay group. However, in their answers, age and socio-economic status are sometimes conflated.
This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about... more This study explores the implications of media visibility in the evolution of public opinion about trans people in the Spanish context. We focus on the socio-cultural impact of the TV series 'Veneno' (2020, Atresmedia) in relation to the breaking down of the spiral of silence (Noelle-Neumann, 1993) on trans issues. Based on Esteban Muñoz's (2020) theoretical approach to queer temporalities, we conducted a 'close reading' analysis (Brummett 2018) of the diachronic narrative of the television series. Through a linear observation of the past, present and future of media representation and its relationship with the real-life situation of trans people, an evolution is detected from ostracism and fetishization in the past, to a future shift towards greater normalization and livable life forms. But the results also reveal a spiral of meanings that interconnect with different temporalities and contexts, reflecting the non-linear nature of queer temporalities. Additionally, the paper discusses how this series, due to its media impact, has contributed to socio-political public debate on the need to address the rights of trans people in modern-day Spanish society. Finally, its impact not only relies on improving trans visibility by portraying trans narratives, but we also discuss how the series is playing an important role in queering the media industry itself, ensuring trans people to work both in front and behind the cameras.
There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time ... more There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time scrutiny of trans people is intensifying in social and public debate, and the correspondence between this increased presence in the media and improvements in the trans community’s rights is in dispute. This research aims to find out how trans audiences relate to their portrayal in TV series, to learn about their perceptions and opinions, and to understand how these depictions affect their everyday lives. A qualitative analysis was conducted of 19 trans people in two focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the participants perceive a clear distance between their realities and the most popular narratives about trans lives. They identify cispassing as a transversal element that drives the production, creation, and distribution of media narratives, leading to a transnormative representation. Consequently, the trans audience demands the inclusion of trans people in the (audiovisual) cultural circuit in order to combat the ‘cis gaze’ and to create more diverse narratives.
There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time ... more There are currently more trans characters than ever in television series, while at the same time scrutiny of trans people is intensifying in social and public debate, and the correspondence between this increased presence in the media and improvements in the trans community's rights is in dispute. This research aims to find out how trans audiences relate to their portrayal in TV series, to learn about their perceptions and opinions, and to understand how these depictions affect their everyday lives. A qualitative analysis was conducted of 19 trans people in two focus groups and nine semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the participants perceive a clear distance between their realities and the most popular narratives about trans lives. They identify cispassing as a transversal element that drives the production, creation, and distribution of media narratives, leading to a transnormative representation. Consequently, the trans audience demands the inclusion of trans people in the (audiovisual) cultural circuit in order to combat the 'cis gaze' and to create more diverse narratives.
Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follo... more Recent anti‐LGBTQ+ discourse has increased the threat of violence against people who do not follow the cisheteronormative mandates. To face these dialectics, the media can offer alternative discourses, in particular by providing realistic and non‐stereotyped LGBTQ+ representations. Media portrayals can be seen as both positive and negative. On one hand, they may offer stereotypical and narrow representations, but on the other, they can include representations that can become aspirational models and improve visibility. The objective of this article is to explore this second perspective by analyzing the representation of Jules, a trans female character from the American series Euphoria (Levinson et al., 2019–present). To this end, we conducted a close reading analysis (Castelló, 2008) of the first season of the series. The results show three axes of representation that move away from the traditional portrayal of trans characters: (a) a narrative that moves beyond the “trans fact” and presents complex and plural stories, (b) a representation of the trans individual as an element of value and love, away from fetishism, and (c) a link between the trans realm and specific spaces of comfort and freedom.
Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolvi... more Introduction. The definition of the concept of Global Communication Studies (GCS) is still evolving, especially when it comes to their establishment as a new formal area of education regulated by the university system. As GCS cover a very wide range of communication-related issues, it is necessary to demarcate their scope to differentiate them from studies of journalism, public relations, advertising and audiovisual communication, and to place special emphasis on learning competencies. Methods. A survey was applied to a sample of 266 communication professionals, teachers and students to assess, through a 5-point Likert scale, the degree of importance given to 62 competencies associated with the exercise of their professional activities. Results and discussion. The survey results point to a formulation of GCS that is less associated with the technical aspects of the communication sector, and more strongly linked to the political and sociological aspects of communication. There is als...
This study was carried out in three Iberian-American countries, Colombia, Spain and Venezuela, to... more This study was carried out in three Iberian-American countries, Colombia, Spain and Venezuela, to identify the stereotypes of love and gender professed among youth and compare them to those they prefer in television fiction series, i.e., those able to influence their identities and values. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the study involved a survey of 485 first-year university students, and a qualitative analysis of the media representations preferred by them. The results showed a preference for "amor ludens", based on enjoyment and the present moment, and a gap between the cognitive and emotional spheres of some youth who consider themselves distant from stereotypical, heteronormative and patriarchal models, but who choose media representations that match these models and the traditional gender portrayals.
This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the resear... more This article analyzes a television news story using a particular example. In line with the research tradition of the ethnomethodological approach of membership categorization analysis, our main analytical concerns are (i) to understand the logic of practical reasoning and intelligibility involved in the production of the news story; (ii) to examine how this intelligibility is generated and what resources – such as commonsense knowledge of the social structures – are used to make the news story communicable; and (iii) to explore how specific forms of categorization employed in the news story are used to induce certain readings or to promote certain worldviews. The news story analyzed describes the progressive increase of foreign participants at the San Fermín running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. It also highlights the still minority participation by women at this massive event. The results of the analysis show that both “foreigners” and “women” are presented as being in the wrong...
This article contributes to the debates around toxic fan practices by focusing on the regulation ... more This article contributes to the debates around toxic fan practices by focusing on the regulation and management strategies activated intra-fandom in order to combat fan toxicity. In particular, the social media boycott campaign against the teen series The 100 (The CW, 2014-) is examined after the death of a popular lesbian character in March 2016. This event propelled an online movement termed ‘LGBT Fans Deserve Better’, dedicated to improving the representation of lesbian and bisexual women on television and of characters infamously subjected to the occurrence of the ‘Dead Lesbian Syndrome’ trope. To frame this study, we discuss television representation of lesbian love and its effects on young queer females, and draw some necessary conceptual distinctions within what we call the spectrum of conflict formed by fan-tagonism, anti-fandom, and toxic fan practices, and how that spectrum relates to current research on fan activism. Then we apply a qualitative methodology based on ground...
Esta tesis doctoral esta elaborada alrededor de un compendio de 4 publicaciones. El objetivo es a... more Esta tesis doctoral esta elaborada alrededor de un compendio de 4 publicaciones. El objetivo es abordar de una manera holistica los LGBT/Queer Media Studies y contribuir a su desarrollo como campo academico. Se trata de un campo emergente que combina los estudios sobre la diversidad sexual y de genero con los estudios de los medios de comunicacion. De este modo, en la tesis se explican tanto los aportes de la teoria queer y los estudios gays y lesbianos, como los que ofrecen las teorias de la comunicacion. Las publicaciones incluidas en el compendio abordan cuestiones relacionadas con la representacion de personas LGBT en los medios de comunicacion, tanto en contenido informativo como en ficcion, y los efectos que produce en la audiencia, tanto en la general como en la LGBT de manera especifica. En concreto, recogen algunos de los temas mas actuales en el estudio de los LGBT/Queer Media Studies, como las familias homoparentales formadas por gestacion subrogada o el Sindrome de la Le...
Incorporación de la perspectiva LGBTI en los estudios universitarios de Comunicación: proyecto piloto de formación y sensibilización, 2022
Se presentan los resultados de un proyecto de innovación docente desarrollado en la Universitat P... more Se presentan los resultados de un proyecto de innovación docente desarrollado en la Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) cuyo objetivo era formar y sensibilizar sobre la eliminación de cualquier tipo de discriminación por razón de orientación sexual, identidad de género o expresión de género al estudiantado del Departamento de Comunicación. A pesar de no tener competencias ni capacidad de actuación directa en el diseño curricular de los programas de posgrado para poder modificar los planes docentes a corto plazo, se planteaba la urgencia de buscar alternativas para asegurar que la UPF ofrece formación específica en este ámbito a las futuras y a los futuros profesionales de la comunicación. Por este motivo se diseñaron sesiones formativas de dos horas de duración que se desarrollaron dentro del horario lectivo, en clases cedidas por el profesorado del Departamento de Comunicación. De manera paralela se evaluó el impacto de estas sesiones mediante un sistema de encuestas que pretendía evaluar la mejora de los conocimientos sobre la perspectiva LGBTI, evaluando tanto los conocimientos previos como los conocimientos después de la sesión. Para ello, se dejó transcurrir un periodo de tiempo de dos meses antes de pasar la segunda encuesta, con tal de medir el recuerdo a medio plazo. Los resultados muestran una mejora en los conocimientos del alumnado después de atender a la sesión formativa. Asimismo, se discute la necesidad de desarrollar nuevos mecanismos docentes para asegurar la formación y sensibilización del alumnado de Comunicación en la perspectiva LGBTI.
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