On the dual and paradoxical role of media: Messengers of the dominant ideology and vehicles of disruptive speech

Abstract

This article aims to evaluate the dual function exercised by traditional media - TV, radio and press – as a place of ideological production, assuming the power of communication as a method of naturalization, and as a place of confrontation, giving voice to alternative projects. First, the function of ideological production, in regards to the national and international media coverage of the financial crisis in Portugal, warrants consideration. Furthermore, the role of media confrontation is illuminated by the coverage of protests in Portugal and Brazil. Concluding, if traditional media convey dominant norms and hierarchies, notwithstanding the pressure on social networks, this mode indicates a deviation, thus contributing, even if indirectly, to a redefinition of people and culture.