Analysis of editorial lines
An exploratory and qualitative study of radio stations in Chile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26422/aucom.2026.1503.matKeywords:
editorial line, radio stations, Chile, qualitative interview, thematic analysisAbstract
Although the concept of an “editorial line” is commonly used by both journalists and the public to refer to the principles guiding a media outlet’s content production, there is, in fact, no consensus on its definition or the variables that shape it. Nor is there clarity on how to observe or evaluate its presence. This article seeks to fill that gap in the literature by addressing both the terminological inconsistencies and the lack of operationalization. Drawing on a literature review and a specific conceptual model, a series of qualitative interviews was conducted with general editors, producers, and reporters from news radio stations in Chile, in order to test the model’s effectiveness and characterize the editorial lines of these outlets. The case is particularly noteworthy because Chile is a country where, despite widespread distrust in institutions-including journalism-radio stations enjoy a strong reputation. The results reveal that, although the sample includes nearly all major nationwide news radio stations, and despite longstanding criticisms of the hegemonic nature of Chilean media, there are significant differences in the composition of their editorial lines.
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