Political protest and police activity: the media perception

Abstract

Media participate in building up the image of the institutions of the society, so it matters to better know the issues to which people are daily exposed. Regarding the police, a strategic institution of the social system, this is an important issue. Contents broadcast regarding the police work constitute a discourse that will reflect on the formation of people’s perception. The construction of this social and political framing, over time, will establish a discursive territory where police representations will emerge that may influence social behavior. A characterization of the Portuguese media discourse about police activity in major political events was made during 2012.