Análisis del estilo audiovisual en la representación del periodismo: el ser y el deber ser en The Wire (Bajo escucha) y The Newsroom

Miguel Ángel Huerta Floriano; Ernesto Pérez Morán

doi:10.31921/doxacom.n39a2120

Authors

Miguel Ángel Huerta Floriano Pontificial University of Salamanca, Spain
Ernesto Pérez Morán University Complutense of Madrid, Spain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n39a2120

Keywords:

Journalistic representation, television style, textual analysis, The Wire, The Newsroom

Abstract

The portrayal of journalism in fictional series of the 21st century cannot be fully understood without considering two productions, which are The Wire (HBO, 2002-2008) and The Newsroom (HBO, 2012-2014). However, academic approaches to the two series have focused on aspects related to theme, narrative, and reception, which generally receive more attention in the field of television studies than other equally relevant viewpoints. This paper aims to fill the existing gap with regard to formal approaches by proposing a textual and comparative analysis of the stylistic keys of both series in their approach to journalistic activity. One of the main findings is that although both series are very realistic, The Wire focusses on a formal system built upon the strategies of staging, planning, editing and sound space, with a tendency to descriptively display the facts, while The Newsroom uses an expressiveness that idealises the way the profession is carried out with a sentimental emphasis.

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Author Biographies

Miguel Ángel Huerta Floriano, Pontificial University of Salamanca, Spain

Bachelor’s Degree in Law, a B.A. in Journalism, and a PhD in Communication, he serves as a professor of Audio-visual Management and Production at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca, where he has held the positions of Vice-Rector of Strategic Coordination and Quality, as well as General Secretary. He is the author of several articles in scientific journals, in addition to various books, including the following: Celuloide en Llamas. El cine estadounidense tras el 11-S [Celluloid in flames, the US film industry after the 9/11 attacks] (Notorious, 2006); Paul Schrader (Akal, 2008); and Los géneros cinematográficos. Una introducción [Film genres, an introduction] (Tirant Humanidades, 2019). Professor Huerta Floriano was also a co-editor of the book entitled El 'cine de barrio' tardofranquista. Reflejo de una sociedad [late-Francoist ‘neighbourhood cinema’, the reflection of a society] (Biblioteca Nueva, 2012), and he has led and participated in several research projects on audio-visual fiction as well.
Ernesto Pérez Morán, University Complutense of Madrid, Spain

Bachelor’s Degree in Audio-visual Communication, and holds the post of assistant professor on the Faculty of Art History at Universidad Complutense de Madrid. He co-edited the book entitled, El 'cine de barrio' tardofranquista. Reflejo de una sociedad [late-Francoist ‘neighbourhood cinema’, the reflection of a society] (2012), and has written a dozen articles in indexed journalism, in addition to having participated in several research projects. Professor Pérez Morán has also served as a lead researcher on two other projects funded by the Universidad de Medellin (Colombia), an institution with which he was affiliated as a professor and coordinator of the PhD programme in Communication for six years (2013-2018).

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