Abstract
This article analyzes the political communication dispositive called Enlace Ciudadano led weekly by the president of Ecuador Rafael Correa, which is broadcasted by radio and television in order to characterize the meanings that citizens build about the government´s actions, Correa’s relationship with the media, his way of communicating in the political space, his proposals, and his relations with other political actors, both those aligned with and in opposition to the government. Through a qualitative study that combines discourse analysis and reception studies, the presidential discourse was found to promote the generation of new meanings and ways of thinking about politics and the relationship between citizens and the government and media. The article shows citizens’ different rationalities and interpretations—citizens who are both the target and active receptors of the political discourse. The results provide some key elements about the processes that are the basis of the rootedness that presidents pejoratively called “populist,” like Rafael Correa, have achieved among their countries’ population, particularly in the economically and socially disadvantaged sectors. These elements contribute to the constitution of subjectivities that recognize the value of identity, rights, self-esteem, and the necessity of more equal relationships, while also leaving a door open to different ways of thinking and political confrontation. Moreover, the article contributes to the discussion around the political meaning of common sense in the configuration of hegemony in the contemporary context characterized by the mediatization of politics.
political communication; reception studies; political discourse; public opinion; Ecuador