A The 25 April 1974 news coverage at Corriere della Sera, La Stampa and Il Messaggero

a case study

Abstract

The fall of the New State and the subsequent period of transition to democracy made Portugal into somewhat of a political laboratory for European leaders, journalistic and intellectual circles. In the international press, the country reached unprecedented media exposure. This article analyses the journalistic coverage of the 25 April 1974 by Corriere della Sera, La Stampa and Il Messaggero. The chronological scope of the quantitative dimension includes the ten editions of the newspapers under consideration in the immediate post-25 April period, between 26 April and 6 May1974, whilst the qualitative action extends the temporal scope until 9 June 1974. The priority is given to a methodological integration approach focused on the numerical expression of journalistic treatment and, above all, on its qualitative dimension. This allows us to understand the political scenarios designed by the Italian press, the degree of involvement of journalists and the emphasis given to the event. Evidence shows that the analysed newspapers reported the fall of the New State and subsequent political developments as an exceptional event.