Journalistic Conventions and political change at the begining of the 20th century

Abstract

The present work is a contibution to the reflection on the democratization process of portuguese political life, at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century, through the analysis of the change in the way political subjects are communicated in portuguese daily newspapers. The titling of journalistic pieces is among the available communication devices, at the end of he 19th century, to highlight and facilitate the reading of current news. Through the analysis of the use of titles on the front page of six daily newspapers in Lisbon from 1889 to 1907, I argue that until the beginning of the 20th century, there prevailed a journalistic convention hostile to the use of large titles that emphasized political subjects. This changed with the adoption of new titling practices that transformed the newspaper-reading experience, facilitating easier access to political content, and promoting the emergence of a new representation of politics, one that is more exposed and approachable for a wider audience.