Memes as Political Entertainment. Reception, Uses and Meanings

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Published: Jun 28, 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22201/fcpys.24484911e.2019.27.66001

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Martín Echeverría Victoria
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)
Rubén Arnoldo González Macías
Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)

Abstract

Memes are one of the hallmarks of online communication through social media. However, the study of this kind of content is yet to be consolidated. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to foster the understanding of memes and their implications for political communication. In so doing, we conducted a study on the reception, uses and meanings of memes during the 2018 Mexican presidential elections. Due to its exploratory scope, this research draws on a qualitative methodology based upon focus groups. The main findings indicate that these messages simultaneously show pro and antidemocratic effects. That is, they boost the consumption of quality information, start conversations about political issues, and promote criticism of politicians and authorities. Nevertheless, they also foster cynicism and a sense of political inefficacy, as well as a superficial understanding of political affairs. 

Article Details

How to Cite
Echeverría Victoria, M., & González Macías, R. A. (2019). Memes as Political Entertainment. Reception, Uses and Meanings. Revista Mexicana De Opinión Pública, 2(27), 117–133. https://doi.org/10.22201/fcpys.24484911e.2019.27.66001
Author Biographies

Martín Echeverría Victoria, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)

Doctor in Communication and Culture from the Universidad de Sevilla, Spain, he´s got a Master's Degree in Political Communication and Public Opinion from the Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain, and he is Master in Audiovisual Communication from the Universidad Internacional de Andalucía, Spain. He is a member of the Sistema Nacional de Investigadores (SNI), level I, and of the Asociación Mexicana de Investigadores de la Comunicación, amic. His lines of research are constituted by the audiovisual formats of political communication, journalism studies and journalistic representations of vulnerable groups. He is currently a research professor at the Instituto de Ciencias de Gobierno y Desarrollo Estratégico (ICGDE) at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP).

echevemartin@yahoo.com.mx

Rubén Arnoldo González Macías, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP)

Doctor in Communication Studies from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, has been a reporter, editor, and head of research at the newspaper La Voz de Michoacán. He is a professor-researcher of the Instituto de Ciencias de Gobierno y Desarrollo Estratégico (ICGDE) in the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP), where he is part of the Cuerpo Académico Comunicación Política y Ciudadanía en la Transición Democrática. His lines of research focus on the reporter-source relationship, professionalization of the journalist, political journalism, democratization of the Mexican press, and analysis of media systems.

ruben.arnoldo@correo.buap.mx

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