Abordaje mediático de diario El Universo en el caso del asesinato del ex candidato a la presidencia del Ecuador Fernando Villavicencio Valencia

Abstract

This thesis investigated the media approach of the newspaper El Universo in relation to the murder of Fernando Villavicencio Valencia, former presidential candidate of Ecuador, which occurred in August 2023. The general objective was to analyze whether there was an agenda-setting in the newspaper's publications during that month. Through a quantitative methodological approach that included documentary review and content analysis using the coding book technique, the news from 31 editions of the newspaper El Universo in August 2023 were examined. The results indicated that Villavicencio was mentioned in 442 news items out of a total of 1,270 analyzed, covering 30 of the 31 newspapers reviewed. This evidenced an agenda-setting by the newspaper, with more frequent mentions on Fridays and Mondays, particularly highlighting Friday, August 11th, two days after the political crime. Additionally, there was an uptick in mentions after key events such as the first round of the anticipated presidential elections. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the newspaper El Universo did set a media agenda focused on Fernando Villavicencio and with reference to the development of Ecuador's anticipated presidential elections in August 2023