Agenda-building and issue salience: the Water Code reform in the Chilean press

David Leroy; Octavio Avendaño

doi:10.7764/cdi.62.92106

Autores/as

David Leroy Universidad Autónoma de Chile https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7170-0210
Octavio Avendaño Universidad de Chile https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6945-5327

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7764/cdi.62.92106

Palabras clave:

código de aguas, reforma política, Chile, agenda-building, medios digitales, análisis textual

Resumen

This study analyzes how Chilean digital media shaped the salience of the Water Code reform (2014–2022) from an agenda-building perspective. Based on a text-pattern analysis of 349 articles published in five online outlets, it examines how media type, content format, and author background influenced which policy issues were prioritized. The analysis identifies five main topics that structured the media agenda: (1) the legislative reform process, (2) the water crisis, (3) sustainable water use, (4) water rights, and (5) the symbolic dimension of water privatization. Clear differences emerged across outlets: mainstream, corporate-owned newspapers emphasize institutional and legal aspects, while independent and progressive media prioritizes environmental and social concerns. Content format played a key role: news articles focused on the legislative process, whereas opinion pieces engaged in broader ideological discussions, particularly on the symbolic meaning of water privatization and the socioenvironmental stakes of reform. Author background also determined how issues were highlighted: journalists generally adopted a neutral and institutional framing, while academics, activists, and legal experts stressed the socioenvironmental challenges and the need for sustainable solutions.

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Biografía del autor/a

David Leroy, Universidad Autónoma de Chile

David Leroy, doctor en Medio ambiente y sociedades por la Universidad de Toulouse - Jean Jaurès (Francia). Tras ocupar puestos posdoctorales en la UNAM (México) y la Universidad Autónoma de Chile, actualmente es investigador posdoctoral en el Instituto Smithsonian de Investigaciones Tropicales (Panamá). Su investigación aborda la vulnerabilidad y la adaptación de comunidades rurales a riesgos ambientales, la percepción social del medioambiente y la gestión comunitaria de recursos naturales. Ha participado en proyectos en varios países de América Latina y publica en revistas internacionales de alto impacto.

Octavio Avendaño, Universidad de Chile

Octavio Avendaño, doctor en Ciencia política por la Universidad de Florencia, Italia. Profesor y director del departamento de Sociología de la Universidad de Chile. Ha impartido docencia de pregrado y posgrado en la facultad de Gobierno de esa universidad, así como en la Universidad Alberto Hurtado y en la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Profesor visitante en la Universidad de Extremadura (España), la Universidad de Bérgamo (Italia), la Universidad de Roma La Sapienza (Italia) y la Universidad de Georgetown (EE.UU.).

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